Tagged: measles

Featured image: Engaging online simulator of measles outbreaks (& how NZ needs to do better in eliminating measles)

Engaging online simulator of measles outbreaks (& how NZ needs to do better in eliminating measles) - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • Mar 30, 2016 •

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Osman Mansoor, Prof Michael Baker To help explain the concept of ‘herd immunity’, The Guardian Newspaper has produced a clever online simulator of measles spread. We comment on why this simulator is informative and how it also demonstrates chance effects in the spread of infectious diseases. Then we take the opportunity to explain why NZ should … Read More

Not quite Monday Micro – which nasty microbes would you rank in the top 10? - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Aug 01, 2014 •

On Monday I was asked to go on the radio and comment on an article that appeared in the NZ Herald (syndicated from The Independent) entitled “What’s the world’s biggest health risk?”. The article lists an infectious diseases ‘Top Ten’ which looks like this: 1. Ebola – as of 23 July 2014, there … Read More

Breast milk is not a substitute for vaccination. - Diplomatic Immunity

Helen Petousis Harris • Jul 02, 2013 •

It is not uncommon to find folks promoting breastfeeding as a way to boost their children’s immune systems as an alternative rather than an adjunct to vaccination. On the West Coast, this philosophy is hindering the regions efforts in achieving high enough vaccine coverage to prevent disease as noted in the Herald this week. When it comes to prevention … Read More

National Immunisation Week - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • May 02, 2011 •

Apparently last week was National Immunisation Week, promoted by the Ministry of Health as part of the WHO’s Western Pacific Region Vaccination Week. It completely passed me by, hence this post a week after the event. Oops. This is what the WHO had in mind: Educate parents and caregivers about the importance of vaccination in protecting their children from … Read More

Wakefield’s (bad) science: when measles isn’t actually measles. - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Jan 09, 2011 •

Fellow Sciblogger Grant Jacobs and I have both recently posted on the BMJ’s editorial ‘Wakefield’s article linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent’. The editors left us with plenty of food for thought, including: ‘What of Wakefield’s other publications? In light of this new information their veracity must be questioned. Past experience tells us that research misconduct … Read More

Anti-Vaccination In NZ - Skepticon

Darcy Cowan • Nov 01, 2010 •

As promised here’s my first entry for “Vaccine Awareness Week”, I thought I would take a little look at Anti-vaccination in New Zealand. In particular the  Immunisation Awareness Society. This organisation has set itself up as pro-choice on the subject of vaccination but this is essentially a thin smokescreen for their anti-vaccination views. Here, rather [...] … Read More

Too Little, Too Late - MacDoctor

Jim McVeagh • Feb 03, 2010 •

The Lancet has finally withdrawn the paper on MMR and autism that it published 12 years ago. The study: “Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children” consisted of a series of 12 children all of whom had been referred in to a paediatric gastroenterology unit with a triad of autism-like symptoms, abdominal [...] Related posts: … Read More