Katie Drummond: I understand. Wow. We are in the midst of this outbreak we are talking about at the top. What happens now? Once there is a measles outbreak, it is spreading among a community, how does it contain something like that? What next steps would be necessary for the United States to really control this outbreak?
Emily Mullin: Yes. Well, this is a great question. We have seen measles outbreaks before. Maybe remember that there was a great measles outbreak in 2019 that concentrated on the Orthodox Jewish communities in New York. He really took these strategic boots in the effort to go to the community, fighting the wrong information, providing culturally confidential information about the benefits of the MMR vaccine to obtain rates there. Because again, there is no effective measles treatment. This takes isolation, vaccination because to be clear, we are seeing that these sarampos are happening due to the decrease in vaccination rates throughout the country. People do not trust vaccines at this time. For measles, the vaccination rate in a community must be very high, 95 percent, to prevent outbreaks because it is very contagious. In Gaines County, Texas, which has most of the cases at this time, the vaccination rate against the Basper of Infantes Garden is 82 percent.
Katie Drummond: Wow.
Emily Mullin: That is why we are seeing such a heavy concentration of cases there. But in New Mexico, in Lee County, where most cases of New Mexico are happening, measles vaccination rates are much higher, about 94 percent. But again, this is a very contagious virus. We really need those rates to about 95 percent. That is what the epidemiologists say that is really needed for protection of a community.
Katie Drummond: Just to underline this last time. The MMR vaccine, how effective is that vaccine to prevent measles in a specific person?
Emily Mullin: A dose of the vaccine is 93 percent effective against measles, and two doses is 97 percent effective. That first dose is recommended for children, usually 12 to 15 months. Then that second dose is typically administered when a child is between four and six years.
Katie Drummond: I understand. We are also, again, only talking about the most vulnerable people in a community, babies, young children, in terms of risk of contracting measles. Certainly it seems that vaccines are a better option than cod liver oil, if I can say it. We are going to take a short break. Thanks Emily. When we return, what you need to read in britcommerce today. Welcome to Strange ValleyAnd I am Katie Drummond, britcommerce global editorial director. They join Emily Mullin de britcommerce. Now, Emily, before letting you go, I really want to present our listeners in a story that everyone should read on britcommerce.com today, apart from the excellent stories we mention in this episode. That is a feature that we publish today by the collaborator britcommerce Lauren Smiley. Lauren is an incredible journalist, an incredible narrative writer. She did a deep immersion in Boeing. If everything that is happening with FAA is not yet terrified by the Air Travels at this time and everything that has happened with Boeing in recent years, this story will not make you feel better. I say it as someone who takes a lot of Xanax before getting on a flight. This story will make you feel more nervous for the safety of air trips. But it is this fascinating narrative told through the eyes of a man who really worked in Boeing for many years, had many concerns about safety within Boeing’s manufacturing facilities, the safety of aircraft and often sounded the alarm within the company. Until the company finally left, and only then began to see terrible aerial accidents, serious incidents with Boeing aircraft that had been partly responsible for manufacturing and creation. This is his trip as a complainant, and how he has left Boeing and becoming a complainant, he has actually become this focal point for the families of people who lost their lives in Boeing airplanes accidents. It has become a focal point for other complainants who have presented harmful information about what is happening within the company. It really is the story of a man, his name is Ed Pierson, and his mission that continues until today to reveal what he describes as serious steps and misdeeds by Boeing that affect all our security when we enter an plane. It is an incredible story. Again, it will not make you feel good, but it is a very, very good reading. I strongly recommend everyone to take a look. Emily, I think you said you had read this story today, so I suspect you agree with me.