The logic behind such reporting has been consistent and twofold. One, Ebola, while horrific and deadly, is hard to contract , especially in countries with modern medical systems. Two, we face health risks far greater than Ebola right here in the U.S.
Frank Bruni of the New York Times addressed the latter topic in a searing op-ed on October 14 . “On matters exotic, we’re rapt,” he writes. “On matters quotidian, which are nonetheless matters of life and death, we’re cavalier.” His framing device? The remarkably high incidence of largely preventable diseases or deaths in the U.S.
“Have you had your flu shot?,” he asks, citing CDC statistics that only about 46% of Americans were vaccinated against the common flu in the 2013-2014 flu season. The stakes? 3,000 Americans die from the flu in a normal year, with as many as 50,000 succumbing to the virus in a bad one.
Of course, this says nothing of diseases like measles and whooping cough, long-thought controlled by modern vaccines, which are making a comeback in recent years just as a misinformed anti-vaccination movement has gained traction .
Here at FindTheBest, we looked at the prevalence of chronic conditions in the U.S. in a push to add more context to this ongoing discussion.
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