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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 2019)
A4 OPINION Blue Mountain Eagle The danger of measles is too easy to forget A s a society, we have made such progress against once-common illnesses that we forget they are still around and still potentially life-threatening. The mea- sles outbreak in Southeast Washington exemplifi es what can happen if we low- er our vigilance — and our vaccinations. High rates of vaccination kept measles under control in the U.S., with about 60 cases annually during 2000 to 2010, according to the Mayo Clinic. In recent years, that average has climbed to 205 cases, most often among people who either were unvaccinated or did not know whether they were. There were 350 cases in the U.S. last year. As of this writing, 35 con- fi rmed cases and 11 sus- pected cases have occurred this month in Clark County, Washington, and one in Ore- gon’s Multnomah County. At least 30 of the patients had not been immunized — even though getting the combined measles-mumps-rubella vac- cine is safer than contracting measles. Measles is so contagious, and potentially fatal in young children, that Wash- ington Gov. Jay Inslee has declared a state of emer- gency. People who visited more than 40 locations in the Vancouver-Portland area might have been exposed. “It’s one of the most con- tagious viruses we have. It can have really serious com- plications,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, the Clark County health offi cer. “And it’s entirely preventable with an incredibly cheap and safe vaccine.” But the measles vacci- nation rate in Clark County was only 78 percent. People forget that measles killed hundreds of people each year, and caused seri- ous health complications for thousands more, before the disease was declared eradi- cated in the U.S. at the start of the 21st century. But measles persisted elsewhere. Around the world, more than 100,000 people die from measles each year, most of them chil- dren under age 5. The measles outbreak in the Vancouver-Portland area, combined with an increase in fl u cases, has caused some Oregon hospitals to restrict visitors. Flu is so common that people often forget about its potential consequences as well. Yet infl uenza and related complications killed an estimated 80,000 Amer- icans last winter, far above a typical year because last year’s vaccine was not as effective. The infl uenza virus mutates, so each year’s vac- cine is formulated to provide immunity against the strains considered most probable to cause an outbreak. That is why getting a fl u vaccine each year matters. Many Americans don’t do so. Infl uenza and related con- ditions hospitalized 1,562 people in Oregon last year and led to the deaths of three children. Although last year’s vaccine was less effective, an Oregon Health Authority study found that seniors who got high-dose fl u shots were less likely to be hospitalized. “Pandemic,” a popular board game, shows how eas- ily diseases can spread. The Vancouver-Portland mea- sles outbreak is not nearly an epidemic, let alone a pan- demic. Neither is this year’s fl u season in Oregon. But it is worth noting that this winter is the 100th anni- versary of the worst pan- demic in recorded history. As the fl u mutated into a global killer, it took the lives of 50 million to 100 mil- lion people, including about 675,000 in the U.S. during the course of one year. This grim anniversary is a reminder that we dare not forget the past, ignore what could happen in the future — or fail to get our vaccinations. To quote a Washing- ton Post story from last year about the pandemic, “the 1918 nightmare serves a reminder. If a viru- lent enough strain were to emerge again, a century of modern medicine might not save millions from dying.” There were no worthwhile fl u vaccines in 1917-18. There are today, just as there is a measles vaccine. Wednesday, January 30, 2019 GUEST COMMENT Mom and Dad, cool it I f you are the mother or father of a high school athlete here in Oregon, this message is primarily for you. When you attend an athletic event that involves your son or daughter, cheer to your heart’s content, enjoy the camaraderie that high school sports offer and have fun. But when it comes to verbally criticizing game offi - cials or coaches, cool it. Make no mistake about it. Your passion is admired, and your support of the hometown team is needed. But so is your self-control. Yelling, screaming and berating the offi cials humili- ates your child, annoys those sit- ting around you, embarrasses your child’s school and is the primary reason Oregon has an alarming shortage of high school offi cials. It’s true. According to a recent survey by the National Associ- ation of Sports Offi cials, more than 75 percent of all high school offi cials say “adult behav- ior” is the pri- mary reason they quit. And 80 per- cent of all young offi cials hang up their stripes after just two years of Karissa whistle blowing. Niehoff Why? They don’t need your abuse. Plus, there’s a ripple effect. There are more offi cials over 60 than under 30 in many areas. And as older, expe- Peter rienced offi cials Weber retire, there aren’t enough younger ones to replace them. If there are no offi cials, there are no games. The shortage of licensed high school offi cials is severe enough in some areas that athletic events are being postponed or cancelled — especially at the freshman and junior varsity levels. Research confi rms that par- ticipation in high school sports and activities instills a sense of pride in school and community, teaches lifelong lessons like the value of teamwork and self-dis- cipline and facilitates the phys- ical and emotional development of those who participate. So, if the games go away because there aren’t enough men and women to offi ciate them, the loss will be infi nitely greater than just an “L” on the scoreboard. It will be put- ting a dent in your community’s future. If you would like to be a part of the solution to the shortage of high school offi cials, you can sign up to become a licensed offi cial at highschooloffi cials. com. Otherwise, adult role mod- els at high school athletic events here in Oregon are always welcome. Karissa Niehoff is the exec- utive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations. Peter Weber is the executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Fortunate for terrifi c neighbors To the Editor: I attended the Grant County Planning Commission informa- tional meeting the evening of Jan. 24 at the John Day fi re station. A question regarding the establishment of a bed and break- fast came up. Because my new neighbors had applied for a per- mit to do just that, I shared my experience with the process. It is procedural for the plan- ning department to send notices to the adjacent landowners regarding this permit request. If there are any concerns or objec- tions, they are invited to a joint session with all parties to voice these. I and three others received notices. We collectively had con- cerns with this enterprise in our residential neighborhood. We drafted a list of several concerns in the form of objections. We had a hearing with the planning commission and the new neighbors. Most important to us was the expected impact on water and the private road. The planning commission heard all sides, and the permit was granted. I’m not sure my response to a question regarding the impact to the water issue was clearly articulated. This is the main rea- son I wrote this letter. I want those who were present to know any issue I have had with water is not as a result of the bed and breakfast operation. In fact, none of the concerns I had have mate- rialized to date. Pete and Andrea Martinez, who own the Victorian Lane B&B, are gracious and congenial people. Also, their son Branden Schlarbaum and his three daugh- ters are a delight. Branden and I have shared in many things since they arrived. I am blessed to have these folks for neighbors. As I consider the neighborhood, I have to say I am fortunate to be surrounded by terrifi c neighbors. Bill Wilcox John Day Cleaning up the PERS defi cit To the Editor: I read that our governor’s hus- band cleaned a federal toilet during the government shutdown. Then he sent President Trump a bill for $27 for his labors. Well isn’t that just peachy, Mr. First Husband; my, how civic minded you are! If you get a check from the president, could you give it to your wife so she can help pay down the PERS defi cit that she has ignored for so many years. Thanks in advance for your generosity. Bob Phillips John Day Feeling betrayed about fi re station To the Editor: I voted for a new fi re station. The area needed a new fi re station. Now they have changed the use of the new fi re station almost before the fi re department got moved in. I did not vote for the fi re sta- tion to house a dispatch center. If the area being used for a dispatch center was not needed by the fi re department then we should have built a smaller fi re station. Do you feel a little bit betrayed? I do. Tom Sutton John Day L ETTERS POLICY: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank- you letters. Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original and signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. We must limit all contributors to one letter per person per month. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244. 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