Here is why you VACCINATE !!!

[ilovetofu]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/30/there-are-no-words-samoa-buries-its-children-as-measles-outbreak-worsens?CMP=fbgu&utmmmedium=Social&utmsource=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2Zo76mvh0iQQEDLpPnGSt3CmSYKB9B_YGv0HeWtn0VBX-Vd8bkai22Xng#Echobox=1575193140

😥

This is terrible, but are these people living in impoverished and unsanitary conditions? I didn't think Samoa was a particularly poor country, but I'm quite ignorant on its economic status. This seems like an extraordinarily high number of deaths from measles. In western nations it's something like 0.2%. In Samoa it looks like more than 1%!

Samoa is pretty poor if you look at country rankings. GDP per capita similar to Bangladesh or Nigeria and there tends to be a high cost of living because of geographical isolation.

Nutritional status (especially vitamin A) can have a significant impact on measles mortality. But I think this outbreak has raised eyebrows with how much of an outlier it is.

Possible factors:

The health system being overwhelmed by the sheer number of cases.
Samoa has quite a genetically homogenous population so there could be some susceptibility factor that many people share.
Modern Pacific Island is notoriously bad with emphasis on processed meat products. PIs have some of the world's highest obesity rates including children, this may influence disease resistance.

Some data here for other outbreaks. Does quote a figure of 1% for developing countries.

www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/measles/globalmeaslesoutbreaks.htm

1% is high, it's typically 0.1% in developed countries.

The very low vaccination rates mean more people catch it, and they get it full strength (those who have been vaccinated, if they catch it, often get it quite mildly). So double whammy of more cases and more severe ones.

Plus less developed health infrastructure means there just aren't the intensive care beds needed to deal with the severe complications.

It's an absolute tragedy for families in Samoa.

And worth noting from The Guardian article just how many countries are seeing a spike in case numbers

The very low vaccination rates mean more people catch it

That has no baring on death rate among measles cases. It isn't death rate in the general population. Many people get mild measles no matter their vaccination status. I had it myself but barely any symptoms. I don't know why measles in a (failed) vaccinated person would be necessarily less bad, or even how that can be measured. Anyhow the death rate among these Samoans is extroardinarily high. It's usually a mild illness in children and severe in adults, but they are seeing the opposite, it seems.