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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Bus route in Talent will move to Highway 99 Golden gears Emergency services, Feb. 28 Medford considering leasing space to Family Nurturing Center Police looking for possible additional victims in Ashland rape cases Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, Feb. 28 Police looking for possible additional victims in Ashland rape cases Police urge caution after men enter home Man jailed on 32 sex abuse charges Emergency services Politics and Elections Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Education MSD considers adding a health center at one of the city's high schools Absenteeism in Oregon schools prompts bill that would tie funding to attendance, not enrollment Territorial Seed contribution a boost for SOU food program 200-plus Jackson County students miss vaccination deadline Medford, Ashland districts fall short of anti-bullying standards Environment Lost Creek Lake algae bloom subsides Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Coho salmon road trip State News Bill to dissolve Cover Oregon heads to Governor Brown Oregon official says he was questioned by FBI, IRS Hayes wants her private emails protected Oregon Senate votes unanimously to outlaw 'revenge porn' Judge: Oracle must host Oregon's Medicaid system Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Pamela Sue Banuelos Judith Ann Miller Rita Launa Stitt Ursula E. Johnson Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Blazers storm back to overtake Thunder Rousey, Zingano take center stage for UFC 184 Crater, North lead charge at state Long journey ends in loss for Challengers Spartans down first-place Idaho Varsity 541 College Sports OIT stuns Raiders Vandy to handle coach's outburst internally Pac-12 has several teams on NCAA bubble No. 7 Arizona has little trouble with Colorado Stanford too much for Beavers, 75-48 Pro Sports Blazers storm back to overtake Thunder Rousey, Zingano take center stage for UFC 184 Warriors bounce back from defeat NASCAR driver has race car stolen McIlroy to miss cut at Honda Classic Community Sports Business Latest Stories Business Briefs: Feb. 28 People in Business: Feb. 28 Medford Fabrication isn't afraid to go big Ride & Drive: 2015 Audi R8 Blog: Friends Forever Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business People in Business Transportation Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Opinion Latest Other Views: Brown's list of challenges is lengthy Letters to the Editor, Feb. 28 Granlund cartoon: Leonard Nimoy dies Our View: School attendance bill could backfire Letters to the Editor, Feb. 27 Editorials Other Views: Brown's list of challenges is lengthy Our View: School attendance bill could backfire Our View: Higher education still getting too little Our View: Adjusting for unintended consequences Our View: Homeless food proposal is the best solution yet Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Feb. 28 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 27 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 26 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 25 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 24 Columns Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Dana Milbank: The Homeland Security fiasco Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Michelle Teheux: Will we keep heading down the wrong path? Kathleen Parker: Twitter as America's conscience Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Lifestyle Latest stories What's there to do on the Oregon Coast? Ride & Drive: 2015 Audi R8 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage Winging it Community blog: Support local CSA farms by signing up Saturday Food Community blog: Support local CSA farms by signing up Saturday Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Cheeseburger pie is the perfect winter comfort food Page H. Onorato: Hot dogs I have known and loved Season Stepp: Tips for roasting vegetables Tammy Kelly: Here’s to healthier Mex! Home and Garden Specialty painting adds wow to your walls Dear Monty: Home seller questions agent ethics Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Health Health Watch: Sticking to your health plan when your family isn’t helping Community blog: Finding Your Indomitable Spirit to Defeat Addiction Dr. Murray Feingold: ‘Beet’ high blood pressure with borscht Community blog: And if I Die Before I Wake Dr. Murray Feingold: Does a sedentary lifestyle make you prone to disease? Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Ronny Cox plays the Unitarian Fellowship SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' Theater 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Music Rogue Valley Symphony showcases Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Ronny Cox plays the Unitarian Fellowship Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Dining Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Soo Rah Korean Cuisine Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Bus route in Talent will move to Highway 99 ... Police looking for possible additional victims in Ashland rape cases ... Police urge caution after men enter home ... Bus route in Talent will move to Highway 99 ... Police looking for possible additional victims in Ashland rape cases ... Police urge caution after men enter home ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? By James di Properzio MailTribune.com By James di Properzio Posted Feb. 26, 2015 @ 12:01 am By James di Properzio Posted Feb. 26, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> The Oregon Legislature has declared that a state of emergency exists due the current measles outbreak: one single case in the state of Oregon. To address this "emergency," State Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Portland, has introduced a bill to exclude all children from all schools unless they are vaccinated on the government schedule. Our measles vaccination rate stands at 94.7 percent nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and among Oregon’s schoolchildren it is 93 percent. The estimated herd immunity level for a disease as contagious as measles is 93 percent. That means that Oregon has herd immunity, and measles can only spread very inefficiently among sparse individuals without immunity, and in pockets in local communities and schools, and cannot spread epidemically. That is the science. Only 3,300 schoolchildren in Oregon have exemptions, in a state of 4 million, and many of those are in fact vaccinated, just not on the recommended schedule. This is not an emergency. The worst-case scenario is that new cases could enter the state and infect some of those schools with higher percentages of unvaccinated or less-vaccinated kids, as we have in Ashland, where nearly 1,000 students have waivers for either not vaccinating or for vaccinating on a slower schedule, or not for everything. None of those pockets ie large enough to expect any mortality, just some illness. But that hasn’t happened, and isn’t likely to at this point. The only case in Oregon (an adult) has resolved itself already, and with herd immunity in place, these infections are self-limiting. The fear that this threatens vaccinated kids is silly: Vaccination produces immunity. When measles cases appeared in the U.S. last March (remember last year’s panic?), the New York Times asked two British doctors what they thought about mandatory vaccinations. They explained that though they had more measles in Britain than we had here, there was little concern, because they had excellent vaccination rates of 93.2 percent, and that, in fact, they were almost as high as rates in the U.S.! They are pleased; we are panicked. They also pointed out that forcing universal vaccination by compulsion is not up for discussion in the United Kingdom because it is incompatible with a free democracy, and that all forms of medical compulsion have been abolished by law in the U.K. It was sobering to see that pointed out by British doctors, juxtaposed with American practitioners calling for compulsory treatment. Does fear so rule the 21st century American psyche that any perceived threat — even a single case of measles — has us calling for compulsive tactics to force 100 percent conformity? The media hype has scared people, including Senator Steiner Hayward and our Sen. Alan Bates, and the drama of the issue has spread on social media, whipping up a vitriolic reaction of fear and hostility. It is completely out of proportion to the facts. But it is hard to calm people in a panic; they find calls for reasonableness threatening, and have become increasingly angry and strident. Let’s pull back from the current feverish rush to do something, and look at it from the British doctors’ perspective. We have a good public health situation here, and nothing to panic about, no drastic measures to take. It won’t be as dramatic as fear-mongering, hating and blaming, but it will be more sane and worthy of a civil democracy. Every patient has the right to make their own health choices, and their choices for their minor children. There is space for a dissenting, critical minority to make their own choices to delay or avoid vaccination. The parents who need to think about this risk are those whose children are not vaccinated, within a pocket of others. It is their risk-benefit analysis to make, and their decision. James di Properzio lives in Ashland. By James di Properzio MailTribune.com By James di Properzio Posted Feb. 26, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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