Well, well, well—look who’s back. Measles, that old red-spotted scourge of childhood, thought to have been cast into the dustbin of history by the twin forces of science and common sense, has returned for another engagement. And why, you ask? Because while the disease has remained much the same, our wisdom appears to have taken a sabbatical.
Nevada can relax for now, as there are no cases. But the worrisome minds in public health are fretting over the state’s vulnerability.
Vaccination rates, once the mighty bulwark against such afflictions, have been slipping like a greased pig at a county fair. And when vaccination rates fall, nature does what it always does–it takes the invitation and strolls right in.
Over 270 cases across a dozen states have been tallied, with Texas leading the pack. New Mexico is in the mix, too, and even that great monument to modernity, Los Angeles International Airport, has found itself playing host to a few unlucky travelers whose souvenirs included something far worse than lost luggage.
Can you say, “Illegal aliens?”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, once dutifully updating case counts daily, has now settled into a more leisurely weekly update schedule—perhaps hoping measles will be courteous enough to follow suit. But the disease has never been known for its manners.
Over 257 cases across 32 states and the District of Columbia were reported in 2024. Not one proved fatal. But this year, things have taken a grimmer turn, with two deaths already—a child in West Texas and an adult in New Mexico—both unvaccinated, of course.
Measles is a pest of a virus, beginning its assault with all the charm of a common cold before escalating to the main event–a rash that declares itself like an unwelcome houseguest. Four days before the rash appears, the infected party is already spreading their misery, and they remain contagious for another four days thereafter. If the fever, cough, and rash ain’t enough, complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and death are always lurking in the background.
The vaccine has been around since 1963, and anyone born before 1958 likely had the measles the hard way, earning themselves the dubious prize of lifelong immunity. Once upon a time, a well-vaccinated public had nearly banished the disease to the same realm as smallpox.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 95 percent of Nevada kindergarteners got vaccinated in the 2018/19 school year. But by 2023/24, that number had slouched to 91.8 percent.
A similar dip’s happening across the country. The culprit is no mystery.
It is, in part, the result of a public spooked by tales tying vaccines to autism. Then there was the great COVID-19 vaccine debacle, where a nation got strong-armed into a medical experiment that left many questioning not just that particular jab but all vaccines by association.
If a fellow gets burned on a hot stove, he tends to be suspicious of all cookery thereafter.
Religious exemptions are also on the rise. In 2018/19, only 3.2 percent of Nevada kindergarteners had parents invoking divine intervention to avoid the needle. Now, that number has climbed to 5.6 percent. Meanwhile, medical exemptions remain rare—unchanged at a scant 0.2 percent.
Across Nevada, the numbers vary. Only 83 percent of students are vaccinated in White Pine County, while Storey County sits at a comfortable 95.8 percent. Clark County, the state behemoth, is at 91.5 percent, while Washoe County is ahead at 94.8 percent.
The health authorities are predictably waving their arms, urging parents to get their children vaccinated to protect both the young ones and the more vulnerable members of society. But this time, they are up against something more formidable than the virus–distrust.
Trying to regain order, Health District’s statewide say they’re taking “proactive steps to protect public health.” That means outreach, surveillance, and collaboration with state and federal partners. Whether those efforts will counterbalance the tide of doubt remains to be seen.
Nevada state law still requires vaccinations for schoolchildren—measles included—though exemptions for religious and medical reasons exist. For now, measles remains a threat held at bay, but the cracks in the dam are showing.
Vaccines have worked for decades, but only when people take them. And if history has taught us anything, nature has little patience for those who insist on learning the hard way.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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