Does America miss the measles?

I’ve noticed there are at least two potential presidential candidates who talked tough about Ebola, and yet are talking soft on measles.

Here’s Senator Rand Paul from last October during the Ebola scare: “We’ve underplayed the risk of this. I hope we’re going to only have very isolated incidents of this in the United States. But I also don’t think it’s that unreasonable to suspend commercial flights.”

Related: King County says adult with measles visited 2 Seattle locations

He was ready to suspend commercial flights to West Africa to prevent the spread of Ebola.

And then Governor Chris Christie, insisting that nurse Kaci Hickox be quarantined – even though she had no symptoms.

“The fact is, I’m not going to step away for a minute from protecting the people of my state and our region. But you can’t take chances on this stuff.”

Can’t take chances with Ebola. Amen. Why? Because there’s no effective vaccine.

But there is one for measles! Yet Governor Christie, while he says he vaccinates his own children, otherwise sounds indifferent. As for Senator Paul – he’s saying the shot could be worse than the disease.

Well, it’s true – as many as ten people a year die after getting a measles shot – although no research has established a direct link.

But when I was growing up in the 50’s there were more than half a million measles cases a year, and each year about a third of those patients got lung infections, and 450 died.

Does it make any sense that a politician who talks tough about Ebola would talk soft on measles, which is nine times as contagious?

No. Unless you miss the 1950’s, when there were no vaccines to worry about, and life was simple. And, in too many cases, unnecessarily short.