Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 3 March 2018
Science Says: Why Europe still has so many measles outbreaks

By MARIA CHENG by researchers at the Lon- A full dose of the MMR vac-
AP Medical Writer don School of Hygiene and cine, a standard compo-
LONDON (AP) — While Tropical Medicine found nent of routine childhood
parts of the world have all Europe to be the region immunization in many
but banished measles, Eu- that was least confident in countries, is believed to be
rope is still getting hit with vaccine safety. about 97 percent effective
large outbreaks where WHY IS THE VACCINE CON- at preventing measles.
some people don't get TROVERSIAL? Measles typically begins
vaccinated. In 1998, British researcher with a high fever and also
Measles is still a bigger Dr. Andrew Wakefield pub- causes a rash on the face
problem across parts of lished a paper in the medi- and neck. While most
Africa and Asia, where cal journal Lancet sug- people who get measles
outbreaks can be particu- gesting a link between the recover, it's one of the
larly devastating in mal- combo measles, mumps leading causes of death
nourished children or those In this Tuesday, May 2, 2017 file photo, a sign at the specialty and rubella, or MMR, vac- among young children,
with other illnesses like tu- clinic at Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis, alerts patients to cine and autism. according to the WHO.
berculosis or AIDS. Most of a measles outbreak in the area. No other studies have Serious complications, in-
the 89,000 measles deaths Associated Press found any connection. cluding blindness and a
in the world each year are The paper was later re- swelling of the brain, are
in developing countries. diseases. The virus is spread WHY IS EUROPE A HOTBED tracted, 10 of its co-authors more common in young
In Europe, there were in the air through coughing FOR MEASLES? renounced its conclu- children and adults over
more than 21,000 cases of or sneezing. Vaccine skepticism re- sions and Wakefield was age 30. Through vaccina-
measles and 35 deaths last It can be prevented with a mains high in many parts of stripped of his license to tion programs, measles
year, a fourfold increase vaccine that's been in use Europe after past immuni- practice medicine in the has been eliminated in the
in cases compared to the since the 1960s. Health of- zation problems. U.K. after officials found Americas and many other
previous year. With more ficials say that vaccination In France, a national hep- him guilty of "serious profes- countries have pledged to
than 5,000 cases each, Ro- rates of at least 95 percent atitis B vaccination cam- sional misconduct." stop the disease's spread
mania and Italy had the are needed to prevent ep- paign that was suspended After the paper was pub- by 2020.
biggest epidemics — and idemics. in 1998 amid concerns of lished, however, vacci- HOW CAN VACCINATION
the drive to vaccinate chil- In some regions of Italy, bad side effects led to nation rates dropped in RATES BE INCREASED?
dren against measles has the rate is about 85 per- widespread wariness of im- Britain, the U.S. and else- One strategy is to make im-
even become a leading cent, one of the lowest in munizations. where, leading to years of munization against certain
issue in Italy's general elec- Europe. Epidemics have And during the 2009 swine measles epidemics across diseases legally mandato-
tion on Sunday. also emerged in countries flu pandemic, numerous Europe. In the U.K., at least ry and not allow children to
A look at some of the hur- including Ukraine, Greece European critics alleged a dozen medical associa- attend school unless they
dles slowing efforts to stop and Romania, where offi- that the push for swine flu tions including the Royal can show proof of vacci-
the spread of this prevent- cials have noted declines vaccinations was the result College of Physicians have nation.Italy recently intro-
able disease: in overall vaccination cov- of drugmakers' undue influ- issued statements verifying duced a new law requiring
WHY DOES MEASLES erage, problems with the ence on the World Health the safety of the MMR vac- parents to vaccinate their
SPREAD SO FAST? vaccine supply and poor Organization. cine. children against measles
Measles is among the disease surveillance sys- A 2016 global survey of HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE VAC- and nine other childhood
world's most contagious tems. vaccine confidence led CINE? diseases. q

Health of world's last male

northern white rhino in decline

By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA infection was recently dis- surgery from the females
Associated Press covered in the same area, at Ol Pejeta, according to
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — the conservancy said. the conservancy.
The health of the world's "We are very concerned San Diego's zoo had some
last male northern white about him — he's extreme- northern white rhinos, but
rhino has deteriorated, ly old for a rhino and we the last one died in 2015.
bringing the rhino subspe- do not want him to suffer Northern white rhinos once
cies a step closer to extinc- unnecessarily," the conser- roamed parts of Chad, Su-
tion caused by poaching. vancy said in a statement. dan, Uganda, Congo and
The 45-year-old rhino Sudan and the females Central African Republic,
In this Friday, July 28, 2017 file photo, wildlife ranger Zacha- named Sudan, listed as Najin and Fatu, along with and there were more than
riah Mutai takes care of Sudan, the world's last male northern "The Most Eligible Bachelor a second male from the 2,000 remaining as recently
white rhino, at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia county in in the World" on the Tinder same subspecies that since as 1960, according to Save
Kenya.
Associated Press dating app last year as a died, arrived at Ol Pejeta the Rhino International, a
fundraiser, lives with the from a Czech zoo in 2009. London-based group.
last two female northern Scientists hope to save the The last northern white
white rhinos. Kenya's Ol northern white rhino from rhinos in the wild were
Pejeta Conservancy said extinction by using south- observed more than a
Thursday that Sudan was ern white rhinos as surro- decade ago in Congo's
struggling despite 24-hour gates to carry northern Garamba National Park,
care by veterinarians. white rhino embryos and whose animals have often
Sudan appeared to re- give birth. The in vitro pro- been targeted by armed
cover well from an infec- cess would be conducted groups amid conflict in the
tion that developed on his using sperm from dead region. Efforts to safeguard
back right leg at the end of rhinos that is stored in Ber- the subspecies by moving
2017 but another, deeper lin and eggs extracted by a small number to Kenyaq