Making Measles Great Again: Utah Takes First Place!!

[drumdude]

Mormons are supposed to reject the science when it comes to the history of the Americas, and believe a conspiracy theory that Jews created a civilization there which vanished without a trace.

Mormons are supposed to accept the science when it comes to vaccines which were rushed through testing to deal with a global pandemic.

Dan won’t admit that Mormons believing in their set of alternative unsupported facts about history might lead them to believe alternative unsupported facts about vaccines.

The real problem is that the brethren don’t have any authority or special insight when it comes to guiding people on vaccines or history. They have just as much knowledge as the average person, and their advice should be treated as coming from Joe Schmo. Their speciality and area of expertise is solely running a giant corporation and law firm.

[Tom]

Some critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are seeking to weaponize the unfortunate surge in Utah measles cases as a weapon against the Church, and I deny their claim. They fault the Church and its leaders for supposedly not speaking out about vaccinations. The spread of measles in Utah is supposedly an instance of the evils caused by religion. But this accusation is ludicrous. . . .

In a 15 July 2020 entry here on this blog, by the way, I reported that the head of Pfizer’s anti-COVID vaccine research was a Latter-day Saint — indeed, a member of one of the Quorums of the Seventy — and that he regarded the rapid development of the vaccine as a miracle: ““Area Seventy, Pfizer Head Of Anti-Viral, Has Good News On COVID-19,” Plus A Fascinating Near-Death Account.” Unfortunately, the article in which he shared his view on the matter was taken down very shortly thereafter, without explanation.

Yes, that was unfortunate. But not entirely unexpected.

The Afore should ask Scot and Maureen Proctor why the article was taken down. They cater to their right-wing audience. Were they catering in that case? Or was it a technical glitch or a virus? Or did the church or Pfizer ask that the article be removed?

[malkie]

Some critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are seeking to weaponize the unfortunate surge in Utah measles cases as a weapon against the Church, and I deny their claim. They fault the Church and its leaders for supposedly not speaking out about vaccinations. The spread of measles in Utah is supposedly an instance of the evils caused by religion. But this accusation is ludicrous. . . .

In a 15 July 2020 entry here on this blog, by the way, I reported that the head of Pfizer’s anti-COVID vaccine research was a Latter-day Saint — indeed, a member of one of the Quorums of the Seventy — and that he regarded the rapid development of the vaccine as a miracle: ““Area Seventy, Pfizer Head Of Anti-Viral, Has Good News On COVID-19,” Plus A Fascinating Near-Death Account.” Unfortunately, the article in which he shared his view on the matter was taken down very shortly thereafter, without explanation.

Yes, that was unfortunate. But not entirely unexpected.

The Afore should ask Scot and Maureen Proctor why the article was taken down. They cater to their right-wing audience. Were they catering in that case? Or was it a technical glitch or a virus? Or did the church or Pfizer ask that the article be removed?

This may be the article in question:
Thoughts and stories, by Pal: Pfizer Head of Anti-Viral Has Good News on COVID-19 By Maurine Proctor, in Meridian Magazine

[I Have Questions]

Some critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are seeking to weaponize the unfortunate surge in Utah measles cases as a weapon against the Church, and I deny their claim. They fault the Church and its leaders for supposedly not speaking out about vaccinations. The spread of measles in Utah is supposedly an instance of the evils caused by religion. But this accusation is ludicrous. . . .

In a 15 July 2020 entry here on this blog, by the way, I reported that the head of Pfizer’s anti-COVID vaccine research was a Latter-day Saint — indeed, a member of one of the Quorums of the Seventy — and that he regarded the rapid development of the vaccine as a miracle: “'Area Seventy, Pfizer Head Of Anti-Viral, Has Good News On COVID-19,' Plus A Fascinating Near-Death Account.” Unfortunately, the article in which he shared his view on the matter was taken down very shortly thereafter, without explanation.

Yes, that was unfortunate. But not entirely unexpected.

The Afore should ask Scot and Maureen Proctor why the article was taken down. They cater to their right-wing audience. Were they catering in that case? Or was it a technical glitch or a virus? Or did the church or Pfizer ask that the article be removed?

From the article itself, using the link malkie provided:

Personally, I didn’t start paying attention until March, but the World Health Organization was aware in December about what was happening in China. By mid-January, China had made available the genome sequence of this SARS-2 and then by February, Pfizer and Biontech had agreed to go into partnership to develop a vaccine. Think about that. It was an idea in February and by late April we had a vaccine in people being tested. That has never happened. It is a testament to the technology that has just become available in the last couple of years.

He doesn’t call the development of a vaccine a “miracle,” he calls it a “testament to the technology.”

[I Have Questions]

I don't think you can make the case that the Church has taken specific positions against vaccinating. Nor, I think, could you make the case that Church doctrine cautions against vaccinations. What is interesting is that the rise in measles rates in Utah seems directly proportionate to rise in the numbers of parents in Utah taking out religious exemptions from vaccinations for their children. This is from an article in Medpage...

As school-based exemptions rise, Lo cautioned, so does the risk of infection. "The impact of a rise in nonmedical vaccine exemptions is a drop in vaccination and high risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses," he told MedPage Today. "Parents making decisions on vaccination should seek out their pediatrician as a trusted source for reliable and accurate information on the safety and efficacy of vaccines."

Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Arizona saw the highest nonmedical exemption rates in 2021-2024, while California, Connecticut, Maine, and New York ended nonmedical exemptions during that period and saw their rates drop.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has pushed for states to endopens in a new tab or window nonmedical vaccination exemptions for childcare and school. "The AAP recommends that all states, territories, and the District of Columbia eliminate all nonmedical exemptions from immunizations as a condition of school attendance," the group wrote in a policy statementopens in a new tab or window. "In addition, states and territories should develop policies to ensure that any medical exemptions are appropriate and evidence based."

So this is a result of religious people in Utah and a few other states, exercising their religious freedoms. Perhaps this deserves a place in the files over at the Hitchins Obsession Blog...

The article continues...

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has pushed for states to endopens in a new tab or window nonmedical vaccination exemptions for childcare and school. "The AAP recommends that all states, territories, and the District of Columbia eliminate all nonmedical exemptions from immunizations as a condition of school attendance," the group wrote in a policy statementopens in a new tab or window. "In addition, states and territories should develop policies to ensure that any medical exemptions are appropriate and evidence based."

But that would be against the notion of religious freedom. Mormons demand the right to be able to put their kids in harm's way. Because religion.

NBC reports

States with the highest post-pandemic rate of nonmedical exemptions include Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Wisconsin and Arizona. In parts of Utah and Idaho, post-pandemic exemption rates topped 20%.

There can be no doubt that the rise in cases of measles is a direct result of religion.

[Gadianton]

The leaders face the same problem the Afore does, fear of retribution of their right-leaning base. I don't recall anywhere in the Book of Mormon where the leaders were afraid to testify due to political pressure of the people. Where money and donations determined the message.

Perhaps people would do their thing anyway. In the 80s, the leaders told women not to work and stay in the home but they didn't listen and went to work and probably paid a lot of tithing that shut them up real quick.

What is undeniable is that the influence is from the broader conservative Christian conspiracy culture, and in Utah, it's especially strong within Mormon Utah business culture -- the MLMs etc. There's really nothing like it. The Afore is using his gadfly savvy to hone in on the narrowest construal of the claim that the entire epidemic falls square to the feet of the 12. He certainly hasn't entertained the charge of generally speaking, religion poisoning the mater. I live in a pretty conservative area, and when I visited Utah well into Omicron, people here were still wearing masks for the most part but in Utah, nothing. It was shocking. I met with a relative somewhat close, it's a little complicated, but we definitely enjoyed spending time together though we're talking a huge right-winger, not the loud kind we're used to here but the spiritual kind who has some kind of unexplainable filter that protects from the threats, racism, and even sacrifices personal interests as he was using ACA and had to keep his income down to keep it. This person isn't the kind who would easily rationalize throwing people off the streets into cages for basically no reason like our Christians here can do so easily. Just seems to be conveniently unaware of anything bad. (and yes, big into that right-leaning feel-good, high energy Utah business culture, it's all positivity)

It's this family association of all kinds of ignorance and becomes personal in only a few spots, medical science being the foremost. I mean, this person is pretty brilliant otherwise, but out comes the newest book against evolution, highly recommended, I didn't say anything. Shortly thereafter, "you're not vaccinated are you?" and I said I was, and it was like I'd committed some horrible sin. But, we're both trying to avoid conflict and so it wasn't pressed. Then we go out for lunch and a movie and of course no masks, but I'm not a fanatic or anything so I go along with it. Then comes more medical related conversation and in addition to being in a major risk class for Covid -- never got it -- there were other concerning revelations. I again didn't say anything, but it weighed a little heavy. Pretty much forgot about it, and then a few years later, I'm returning to Utah for the funeral. I feel like I could have prevented it had I been more assertive in what I knew was right, and obviously so. Would it have done any good? I give it at least a 10% chance or higher. I do think some blame goes to me.