Tired Of Reading About School Shootings

[churchmouse]

Well that's sort of the nature of influenza. Given the USA's relatively small population and high level of access to and education on sanitary practices it's much more likely that new strains will originate elsewhere. The big four pandemics of the last century all originated in other countries. I'm not sure what the presence of people "from elsewhere" has to do with anything, as influenza is perfectly happy hopping a lift around the world on whatever flight is most convenient. I doubt one is more likely to catch the latest superflu strain from someone from, say, China than the guy down the street who caught it picking his wife up at the airport.

Also I'm not entirely convinced there is significantly more of an "influx of folks from elsewhere" than in years past.

Have you picked up a child from a local public school lately. One can not have a conversation with many of the parents un-less well versd in more than one foreign language. Not criticizing, just an example.

 

[churchmouse]

I absolutely agree with the exposure - to a point.
However, due to the influx of illegal - and legal - immigrants who do not (usually by default) immunize, and with immunization rates fallen slightly over 2012, Indiana is actually in the upswing of a spread of pertussis. Pertussis. Whooping cough. One of the three parts of the trivalent tDaP vaccine. Since the 70s, Indiana has seen dramatic upswing in percentage of foreign-born peoples, accounting for 4.6% of State population as of 2010 census.

As for the common cold, no question that schools propagate and multiply the vector. Lice. Flu. Snot and blood. Kids are pretty filthy, even the clean ones are usually pretty filthy. And teachers - the pressure that is put on teachers to come in and teach, even in questionable health - is pretty heavy. Students too. So when a student or teacher does wind up under the weather, often they'll just push through and if contagious spread it to countless others. Otherwise it's take-home work.

That was my point.

 

[jrogers]

Have you picked up a child from a local public school lately. One can not have a conversation with many of the parents un-less well versd in more than one foreign language. Not criticizing, just an example.

I concede the possiblity that Speedway may have an exceptional incidence of immigrants moving to the area, but the thinly veiled implication that they spread disease smacks of blatant xenophobia in the absence of any causative data. Feel free to post said data if you have it.