"The microbes have no respect for borders."
— William H. McNeill, historian and author of "Plagues and Peoples" (1976)Vaccine misinformation will lead to more deaths from measles outbreak, ousted US scientist says
OP-ED: Measles is Back — And It’s Only the Beginning of the Borderless Plague Era
The Disaster Files #2
Welcome to 2025, where the ghosts of long-eradicated diseases are clawing their way back into hospitals, nurseries, and neighborhoods. This isn’t fiction. This isn’t a fringe conspiracy.
This is what happens when basic public health, national borders, and common sense collapse together like a house of cards soaked in politics and denial.
Forget what you thought you knew about modern medicine. We’re not just fighting lifestyle diseases, bad diets, or opioids anymore.
What’s coming through the cracks in our systems — including the southern border — are the plagues of the past, armed with 21st-century conditions that make them harder to contain, deadlier to the vulnerable, and shockingly preventable. If we had paid attention.
Measles: The Viral Canary in the Coal Mine
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on Earth. A single infected person can leave the virus hanging in the air for two hours after they’ve gone. Infection rates are rising.
Hospitals in Ontario are in full lockdown mode. Pediatric units have banned children. Elevators are shut down for hours. C-section rooms had to reverse their airflows to avoid infecting vulnerable infants in NICUs.
This isn’t a dress rehearsal. It’s not hyperbole. And it’s not just Canada.
With over 1,800 cases in Ontario and 538 in Alberta, the outbreak is real, widespread, and fast-moving.
In the U.S., three children have already died this year from measles, a disease the West had supposedly conquered decades ago through robust vaccination programs. What changed?
Welcome to the Perfect Storm: Unvaccinated Populations + Border Chaos
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed cracks in our public health foundation. Measles is about to blow them wide open.
Childhood vaccine coverage dropped significantly between 2019 and 2023, leaving entire clusters of children — especially those under 5 — unprotected.
Add to that the surge in uncontrolled migration from nations with incomplete or collapsed health systems, and you have a situation where diseases thought to be eliminated in North America are walking right back in through the front door, the back door, and yes — the southern border.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about biology. Viruses don’t care about immigration policy. They care about opportunity.
Unvaccinated travelers and migrants aren’t just bringing cultural diversity — they’re sometimes bringing tuberculosis, measles, polio, and scarlet fever.
All diseases once beaten back by rigorous public health campaigns. These viruses are opportunists. And we’re giving them the opportunity of a lifetime.
Hospitals Are Preparing Like It’s COVID — Because It’s Worse
Hospitals like Windsor Regional are responding with full COVID-era protocols: strict visitor bans, isolation units, air-flow rerouting, and military-grade N95 mask mandates for caregivers. Pediatric and maternal wards are becoming locked-down biohazard zones.
It’s a haunting echo of the pandemic — but with an enemy twice as contagious.
And unlike COVID, there’s no excuse this time. Measles has a safe, proven vaccine — the MMR — and we’ve had it for 50 years.
The only reasons for its resurgence?
Vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, immigration without health screening, and a public that no longer understands the danger of these diseases.
What You Can Do Now (Before It’s Too Late)
This isn’t a fear-mongering piece. It’s a survival guide.
Here’s how you protect your family, your community, and your country:
✅ 1. Vaccinate
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If you or your kids don’t have two doses of MMR, you are at risk.
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Immunocompromised? Talk to your doctor about passive immunity options like immunoglobulin.
✅ 2. Don’t Travel Without Checking Outbreak Maps
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Measles hotspots are real. Avoid them if you can — or double-check your immunity status before going.
✅ 3. Screen Visitors, Especially Young Children
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No proof of MMR immunity? No entry. Period.
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Infants under 12 months? Talk to your pediatrician — in high-risk areas, early vaccination might be advised.
✅ 4. Call Ahead Before Visiting the ER
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If you have symptoms (fever, cough, rash), self-isolate immediately and call your healthcare provider.
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Don’t walk into a hospital and potentially expose newborns or cancer patients.
✅ 5. Support Health Screening at All Borders
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This isn’t xenophobia — it’s epidemiology. Screen for measles, TB, and polio at every port of entry. Protect the vulnerable already here.
✅ 6. Educate the Stubborn
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Misinformation kills. If someone in your circle believes measles is harmless or that vaccines are part of a government plot — counter it with science, calmly and persistently. Lives depend on it.
The New Normal: Pandemic Readiness Forever
The days of living disease-free by default are over. Measles is the opening act. Polio is already whispering from the sidelines. Dengue is pushing north. Tuberculosis is back in force — and multi-drug resistant strains are spreading.
Our borders are porous. Our hospitals are stressed. Our vaccine rates are declining.
But the pathogens? They’re thriving.
Let’s not wait for another funeral to take this seriously. It’s time to turn off the denial machine, close the public health gaps, and face the microbial reality of a borderless world.
Because the plagues are coming — and they don’t care what side of the wall you’re on.
📌 TAKE ACTION
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Check your vaccine records today.
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Share this article.
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Support real public health funding and education.
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Demand health screening policies that work.
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Prepare your home for temporary isolation protocols — masks, gloves, cleaning agents, and basic meds.
Adaptation isn’t optional. It’s survival.
Sources:
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Public Health Ontario (2025)
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Canadian Journal of Public Health (2024)
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CDC Measles Update (2025)
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WHO Vaccine Coverage Reports (2023-2024)
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