GOP Rep.: 'Illegal Aliens' May Have Started Measles Outbreak In U.S.

[DonViejo]

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) on Tuesday said that the outbreak of measles in the Western U.S. may have been started by "illegal aliens."

The recent measles outbreak has caused some politicians to take a stance on whether vaccines for children should be mandatory in the U.S. Numerous conservative lawmakers have argued that parents should not be forced to vaccinate their kids, while some Republicans have argued that vaccinations are safe and necessary.

But during a Tuesday morning interview with the Matt Murphy radio show, Brooks was asked if there is a correlation between undocumented children entering the U.S. and the measles outbreak.

"I don’t think there is any healthcare professional who has examined the fact, who could honestly say that Americans have not died because the diseases brought into America by illegal aliens who are not properly health care screened, as lawful immigrants are," Brooks responded, according to audio published by ThinkProgress.

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mo-brooks-measles-vaccines-illegal

[MohRokTah]

1. Latin American nations have higher vaccination rates than Orange County, CA.

OOPS, there go those facts proving an idiot wrong again.

[Igel]

11. Some are higher than the US rates.

Some are lower.

Those south of the border that are nearby are generally lower.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/03/map-113-countries-have-higher-measles-immunization-rates-than-the-u-s-for-1-year-olds/


During the last big controversy over this, the data was cherry picked by both sides to show that they and only they are the true masters of over-simplification. One side picked infectious disease rates that indicated a problem--things like TB, for instance. The other picked countries and diseases in which SA countries had finished implementing widespread immunization programs.

The result is that many think that Latin America is a bastion of disease-free populations, while another "many" think that it's a disease-ridden population at death's door.

Regardless of status, the only reason that Central America is a plausible origin for the disease vector is numbers. The incidence in higher in many parts of Africa and S. Asia, but the number of likely carriers is simply much smaller--the populations that are likely to not be vaccinated are typically not those that easily buy plane tickets to visit Disneyland. Far easier to cross the land border than the Pacific or Atlantic. But we're talking plausibility, not even quantified probabilities.

[Cali_Democrat]

2. OMG....disease-carrying immigrants!!!

This type of xenophobia goes back at least two centuries in America.

Nothing new, really.

[Xipe Totec]

3. It's true! They brought infected blankets!

[cyberswede]

5. +1

[KamaAina]

4. If there were any undocumented immigrants at Disneyland,

they were most likely working there.

[benld74]

9. Boom! Beat me!

[Terra Alta]

6. how ironic

considering the very first outbreak of measles, smallpox, and other preventable diseases on the continent was brought here by white Europeans and decimated the Native American population.

[Johonny]

7. Air Force releases the UFO files AND measles outbreak directly correlated

stupid disease ridden aliens.

[bravenak]

8. Bullshit!

They are not anti vaxxers.

The only 'illegal aliens' bringing diseases to America were the ones from Europe. Damn near killed off the Real Americans with their smallpox. What an oblivious jerk!

[Skittles]

10. once again the GOP comes up with the meme their stupid base will believe

disgusting

[MFrohike]

12. I'll be damned

I figured that comment had Louis Gohmert all over it.