Stuff YOU Should Know
Measles Outbreak at All-time High
Do you know the symptoms of measles? Maybe you should learn them!
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently announced that there have been a reported 288 cases of the measles in the United States so far this year (up from 55 least year). This number is considered high because the diseas was declared eliminated in 2000. The reported reason for the influx in new cases is lack of vaccinations. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, as it spreads quickly by sneezing, coughing and close personal contact. The vaccination which was introduced in the 1960s is very effective. What is happening today is that people who have not been vaccinated are travelling abroad, encountering the disease and bringing it back to the United States. This happened when a church group from Dallas, Texas visited Indonesia last year. Twenty-one people, most of them never immunized, contracted measles.
A recent rise in “eliminated” diseases is being blamed, at least in part, by the anti-vaccination movement. This group of people believes that vaccinations cause more harm than they prevent. One of their concerns is that too many immunizations at once can overload the immune system (Though this assertion has never been proven). Anti-vaccine supporters also claim that vaccinations can cause autism. This misconception is said to have gained traction with a 1999 news story about a three-year old who was diagnosed as autistic shortly after receiving the mumps/measles/rubella vaccine. There has since been no medically confirmed link between the two.
Dig Deeper Do some research on other diseases that are making a come back or that medical experts believe are likely to resurface. Based on your research, which one causes you the most concern? Why?
Google’s “Right to be Forgotten”
These days, it is possible to find out just about anything you might want to know about anyone you might want to know. This can be good news if, for instance, you are looking for a job and potential employers can easily access your most recent work. It can be bad news if, for instance, details of a legal matter (even several years old) appears in a search engine. This is what happened to a man in Spain, Mario Costeja Gonzalez, who took his case to the Court of Justice of the European Union. He asked the count to make Google remove this information from its search engine.
The court agreed with Mr. Gonzalez. The information will not be removed entirely, but will be “confined to a history only findable by the very dedicated.” Google has now added a “right to be forgotten” form that European users can fill out to request certain links containing “irrelevant, outdated, or otherwise inappropriate” information to be removed. The court’s ruling is making experts wonder if it will lead to a flood of requests.
What Do You Think? Should people be allowed to ask companies to remove sensitive information from its database? What do you think the implications could be either way?
Soccer Team Makes Fans “Immortal”
Last month, btw brought you bad news concerning rioting over the upcoming World Cup. This month, we are happy to report some good news surrounding the soccer championship. A Brazilian team called Sport Club Recife is interested in more than just being a good team, they want to help others. They have recently implemented a new campaign called “Immortal Fans,” that encourages fans to become organ donors after they die. More than 66,000 have signed up so far. The impact has been quite positive. The waiting list for organ transplants in the city of Recife alone has been significantly reduced.
Becoming an organ and tissue donor does not guarantee it will happen. When a person dies, it is up their surviving family to give consent as to what happens to their body. But campaigns such as “immortal fans” allow people to make their wishes known and hopefully make the decision easier on family members. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, eighteen people die each day waiting on a transplant that doesn’t come because of a shortage of donated organs.
Dig Deeper Find out more about what it means to become an organ donor. What are the pros and cons? Would you become one? Why or why not?
American/Taliban Prisoner Swap
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the last-remaining U.S. solider held imprisoned in Afghanistan, was released last week. In exchange, five Afghan detainees held at the U.S. military prison Guantanamo Bay were also let go. This “swap” was part of a negotiation mediated by the government of the Middle East country, Qatar. Bergdahl, a 28-year old from Hailey, Idaho, was captured by the Taliban in 2009. When intelligence reports suggested he was in danger of losing his life, President Obama’s National Security team went about brokering a deal to ensure his release.
The “prisoner swap” has caused much controversy. Some are concerned about the message it sends to terrorists. In addition, under a law passed last year, the Department of Defense is required to give Congress 30 days notice before releasing prisoners at Guantanamo. In his defense, President Obama was given the right under Article II of the Constitution to override that notice. He reportedly did so because of security concerns. This decision has angered many Congresspersons, especially Republicans. Some believe this action will lead to the capture of more Americans. Others believe this kind of exchange could lead to a breakthrough in further negotiations.