Four European countries lose measles-free status as anti-vax movement drives outbreaks

[jpak]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/29/health/europe-measles-outbreaks-scli-intl/index.html

(CNN)Four European countries have lost their measles-free status as the region suffers a significant setback in eliminating the disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

With measles cases across Europe on course to double this year, the disease has made a comeback in Albania, Czech Republic, Greece and the United Kingdom, where it had previously been eradicated, a WHO report said.

Recent outbreaks of the potentially fatal viral disease in various countries have been blamed on the growth of the anti-vaccination movement, which has spread via social media and discourages parents from immunizing their children against measles and other diseases.

Right-wing populist politicians including Italy's Matteo Salvini, who has promoted a bill removing mandatory vaccination for children, have also been influential in pulling the public away from scientific orthodoxy

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[DFW]

1. They might as well include the whole continent in that case

With border-free travel among the Schengen treaty signatories, including the Czech Republic and Greece, the whole of Europe could start turning up with cases any time. Czechs and Greeks travel a LOT, and both countries are popular tourist destinations for the rest of Europe.

[spanone]

2. Humans are obviously not the most intelligent animals on this planet.