COVID-19, Measles, British Supreme Court, Fundamentalism and the End of the World as We Know It
A few tidbits...
There is so much craziness going on in the world, especially in Washington, that it is difficult to read or write, or even think about anything else. Somehow “Trump” invades everything, even my meditation sessions, along with thoughts about my next meal and the discomfort in my neck. Ha! Trump is the same as a pain in my neck! Who knew?
My recent decision to focus on medical issues in my writing, both as medical administrator and medical practitioner is being strained, but I will try to deliver a few medical tidbits this week.
First, a note about COVID-19.
While the incidence of flu has fallen below the epidemic curve and RSV infections have dropped to very low levels, COVID-19 continued to have above average numbers until this past week. The incidence of all three diseases is now low.
COVID is basically caused by a “cold” virus, and we can all remember occasionally getting colds more than once per year. I hate the fact that the COVID-19 immunity decreases over time and that within 6 months immunity from vaccination or even natural infection may no longer be present. Colds are not so bad but people, especially the elderly, are still getting sick and even ending up in hospital with COVID-19.
COVID-19 re-vaccination is recommended before any major travel, especially if traveling by plane, and once per year in the fall. The CDC recommends 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. As I checked the CDC recommendation, I felt unsure about their guidance. Did the CDC adjust their guidance for COVID-19 vaccination because of some pressure from DOGE or RFK, Jr.? Can I still trust the CDC? It is an unfortunate side effect of the current administration in Washington that we can no longer trust scientific advice from government agencies.
A review of Covid vaccine guidelines from Johns Hopkins reveals that the 2024-25 vaccine is intended as a single dose vaccine. The CDC is apparently considering a suggestion that only people over 65 and those with immune compromise should get the next version of vaccine. Stay tuned.
No American Child should ever die of Measles
Secretary of HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., went to Texas to attend the funeral of a second child who died from measles. Having finally succumbed to reality, he recommended in lukewarm terms that people at risk should get the measles vaccine (MMR), though he hid his recommendation near the end remarks. His weak endorsement of vaccines was immediately criticized by his own anti-vaccine organization!
What I did not expect was the reaction of the families who have lost children to measles, and the reactions of their neighbors and others, especially the very organization founded by RFK, Children’s Health Defense. Their reaction shows just how much those of us who with a secular and science-based world view misunderstand the life outlook of people whose main orientation is religious.
The parents of the first child essentially attributed their daughter’s death to God’s will. They do not recommend the MMR to other parents and claim that if they could do it again, they would still not accept the vaccine. As told by the Texas Tribune:
The Texas parents of an unvaccinated 6-year-old girl who died from measles Feb. 26 told the anti-vaccine organization Children’s Health Defense in a video released Monday that the experience did not convince them that vaccination against measles was necessary.
“She says they would still say ‘Don’t do the shots,’” an unidentified translator for the parents said. “They think it’s not as bad as the media is making it out to be.”
What they mean is that the death of their child is not as bad as the media make it out to be because: “It was her time on Earth,” the translator said the parents told her. “They believe she’s better off where she is now.”
If that wasn’t bad enough, the New York Times reported that: shortly after a second child’s death, a figure in the antivaccine community blamed the death on the hospital, which he claimed, after reviewing hospital records, had “improperly medically managed” the case.
Others supported the idea that both children died because of “medical errors.” This claim is, of course, immediately believable by skeptics everywhere as medical errors are reported as a leading cause of death in the United States even today. I am a card-carrying skeptic, but as a physician, I know that people with viral respiratory infections may die from secondary bacterial infections. Staph pneumonia following influenza is notoriously difficult to treat and is often the cause of death.
Regarding measles, we do not have enough experience treating the disease with antibiotics, antivirals, steroids, ventilators or any of the other well-known tools of modern medicine to have a solid standard of care. Hospital care for a viral illness is mainly supportive. I am sure that the doctors in Texas did everything they could to prevent these children from dying. It is interesting that parents who don’t trust vaccines given by doctors somehow think that the same doctors should be able to save their children from dying.
The death of any child from measles is a preventable tragedy. Prevention by vaccine or natural immunity is the only protection from measles. I shouldn’t have to repeat, but I will, vaccination with MMR is the only way to prevent children from dying from measles. Maybe mumps is next. Mumps encephalitis, anyone?
Are these people crazy?
Karen Armstrong’s recent book, The Battle for God, A History of Fundamentalism, really opened my eyes to the mind-set of the religious fundamentalists. As a historian, she uses examples from the history of Iran, Egypt, Israel and the United States to show how religious people have reacted to the rise of secularism for the last 300 years. Like the Mennonites in Texas who accept the death of a child as just another example of God’s will, religious people have reacted to secularism in ways that seem irrational.
Given pressure from a secular government, some religious individuals simply revert to their own religious community and block out the rest of the world. When forced to confront secularism they feel threatened, personally, and interpret the lack of morality and respect for tradition on the secular side as an existential crisis. They feel that world as they know it is threatened, unless religion, their religion, dominates.
Although almost every religion abhors violence and teaches compassion and humility, fundamentalists often redefine their own religions, interpreting the Bible or the Koran in ways that support their world views, and then use that interpretation to support violence to preserve or protect it. They may seem crazy to us, but their thoughts and actions can be explained and understood when seen through the lens of religion and religious history. I strongly recommend the book. But, I digress…
The British Supreme Court got it right.
Trans-women have civil rights which must be protected, but women and girls also have rights. The British high court was asked whether the definition of the word “women” in the British Equality Act 2010 should include trans-women. By clearly stating that trans-women were not included in the definition, the decision will help to clarify other rights and restrictions around gender issues in Great Britain. It would not hurt the US to follow suit, but the Trump administration seems determined to demonize trans individuals beyond all common sense.
The World as you Know it is Ending: a life/brain hack
Are you disturbed by every little thing going on in Washington and the world right now? Do you cringe every day at the next indecent, unlawful, or corrupt action of the current administration? Nial Ferguson, a British historian of economics, shared the big picture with listeners on the Honestly podcast with Bari Weiss recently.
He believes that we are witnessing the dismantling of America’s dominant place in the world. America used to be the safe place for refugees to go because the law protected everyone. America used to be the safe place to invest money because of the stable economy. America used to be a partner with democracies all over the world, fighting dictators and fascists.
In 100 days, Trump has begun to dismantle the entire edifice of American hegemony in the world. As an American and a Jew, it has been unusually safe and comfortable to live in the strongest most dominant country in the world. The incidental wars of the last 80 years have been nothing compared to the world wars of the 20th century. Prosperity and growth have been taken for granted.
Here's the hack: just accept that everything is changing! After 80 years of a golden age of peace and prosperity for us in the United States, the world is returning to its natural state of tension and conflict. Accept this and buy a gun and you can sleep well at night, with the intruder alarm set.
As always, if you like what I have written please share it with anyone you think might be interested. people may subscribe for most of my posts without paying.
Jef Sneider, MD, FACP - Syracuse, NY - April 2025