12/11/2025 at 10:25:49 PM
Roald Dahl said it best:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measles:_A_Dangerous_Illness
'Here in Britain, because so many parents refuse, either out of obstinacy or ignorance or fear, to allow their children to be immunised, we still have a hundred thousand cases of measles every year. Out of those, more than 10,000 will suffer side effects of one kind or another. At least 10,000 will develop ear or chest infections. About 20 will die. LET THAT SINK IN. Every year around 20 children will die in Britain from measles. So what about the risks that your children will run from being immunised? They are almost non-existent. Listen to this. In a district of around 300,000 people, there will be only one child every 250 years who will develop serious side effects from measles immunisation! That is about a million to one chance. I should think there would be more chance of your child choking to death on a chocolate bar than of becoming seriously ill from a measles immunisation. (Dahl 1986)[4]'
by vmilner
12/12/2025 at 5:26:20 PM
It's weird that it compares the numbers in all Britain to only "a district of around 300,000 people".Google says there are 70.000.000 persons there:
7E7/3E5/250 = .93 ~ 1 << 20 deaths << 10000 "ear or chest infections"
> That is about a million to one chance
A million to one is much bigger, the number in the example are almost 100 millions to one per year
by gus_massa
12/12/2025 at 10:33:38 PM
I think it means 'Given a district of 300,000 people in Britain (in 1986)...'by vmilner
12/12/2025 at 10:43:55 PM
Thanks. Fix the number, 5.5E7 people there in 19865.5E7/3E5/250 = 0.75 << 20 death << 10000 other problems
by gus_massa