Katie Drummond: Got it. Wow. We are in the midst of this outbreak that we talked about above. What happens now? Once a measles outbreak is there, it spreads between a community, how do you contain such a thing? What next steps would be needed for the United States to get this outbreak under control?

Emily Mullin: Yes. Well, that’s a wonderful question. We have seen measles outbreaks before. You can remember that in 2019 there was a major outbreak of measles concentrated in the Orthodox Jewish communities in New York. It really took these strategic boots on the ground effort to enter the community, combat misinformation, provide culturally sensitive information on the benefits of the MMR vaccine to get rates there. Because again, there is no effective treatment for measles. It requires isolation, vaccination, because to be clear, we see that these measles occurs due to falling vaccination rates nationwide. People do not rely on vaccines now. For measles, the vaccination rate in a community must be very high, 95 percent, to prevent outbreaks because it is so contagious. In Gaines County, Texas, which currently has the majority of cases, the vaccination rate of the nursery school is 82 percent.

Katie Drummond: Wow.

Emily Mullin: That is why we see such a heavy concentration of cases there. But in New Mexico, in Lee County, where most cases occur in New Mexico, the vaccination rates of measles are fairly higher, about 94 percent. But again, it is a very contagious virus. We need the rates up to about 95 percent. This is what epidemiologists say is really needed for the protection of a community.

Katie Drummond: Just to underline this last time. The MMR vaccine, how effective is the vaccine in preventing measles in a given person?

Emily Mullin: One dose of the vaccine is 93 percent effective against measles, and two doses are 97 percent effective. The first dose is recommended for children usually about 12 to 15 months. Then that second dose is typically given when a child is between four and six years old.

Katie Drummond: Got it. We also only talk about the most vulnerable people in a community, babies, young children, in terms of risk of measles. It certainly seems that vaccines are a better option than COD delivery oil, if I may say. We’re going to take a short break. Thanks, Emily. When we come back, you must read on Wired today. Welcome back at Ominous trapsy. I am Katie Drummond, Wired’s global editorial director. I am with Emily Mullin of Wired. Now, Emily, Before I let you go, I actually want to pitch you and our listeners on a story that everyone should read today on wired.com, except the excellent stories we mentioned in this episode. This is a feature we published today by the Wired contributor Lauren Smiley. Lauren is an incredible journalist, an incredible narrative writer. She did a deep dive in Boeing. If you are not yet afraid of air journey, given everything that has been going on with the FAA and everything that has incurred with Boeing over the past few years, this story will not make you feel better. I say this as someone who takes a lot of Xanax before I fled. This story will make you feel more nervous about the safety of air journey. But it is this resounding narrative that, through the eyes of a man who actually worked for years at Boeing, had many concerns about Boeing manufacturing facilities, had aircraft safety and often sounded the alarm in the business. Until he finally left the company, and only when he began to see terrible plane crashes did serious incidents with Boeing aircraft he was partly responsible for manufacturing and creation. It’s all about his journey as a whistle -blower, and how he has left Boeing and became a whistle -blower, he actually became this focal point for the families of people who lost their lives in Boeing airplane accidents. He became a focal point for other whistle -blowers who emerged with harmful information about what was going on in the business. It really is the story of one man, his name is Ed Pierson, and his mission that continues today to reveal what he describes as serious mistakes and crimes on the side of Boeing that affects all our safety when we get into a plane. This is an incredible story. Again, it won’t make you feel good, but it’s a very, very good reading. I strongly recommend everyone watching it. Emily, I think you actually said you read this story earlier today, so I suspect you agree with me.