It appears that the measles exposure is reaching Brookings, according to the Brookings School District

@SoDakCampaigns

From my personal e-mail, just got this note from the Brookings School District:

BSD Families,

The South Dakota Department of Health has informed the district that a spectator who attended Saturday’s Les Tlustos Wrestling Invitational has since tested positive for measles. The Department of Health does not plan to conduct contact tracing related to this event and has not provide additional information.

Families with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact the South Dakota Department of Health directly.

That’s just great.

Had this discussion with my wife a couple of days ago where people mistakenly don’t think measles is a big deal.  And in many cases, it isn’t. But in some, it’s more than bad. And why we get vaccinated.

Measles gives some people a runny nose, high fever, etc. And with some measles causes health complications like pneumonia and encephalitis, and kills some people.

Wonder why we used to have a school for the deaf and it seemed there used to be more hearing impaired children? That’s one reason. Measles infection during pregnancy, particularly close to delivery, can affect the development of the fetus’s auditory system, leading to permanent, profound deafness, among other disabilities. Or miscarriage, premature birth, or (again) brain damage.

That’s why we vaccinate kids with the MMR vaccine. And why we don’t need the goofy anti-vaxxers trying to dictate public policy to remove these requirements in our schools.

16 thoughts on “It appears that the measles exposure is reaching Brookings, according to the Brookings School District”

  1. Here’s where we need some of that good old folk knowledge about herd immunity and evil vaccines and such like.

  2. Remind all of us once again how gerrymandering has been beneficial for the state of South Dakota?

  3. “Good evening to our television viewers, we are here in South Dakota where it’s still 1879 even though the calendar says it’s 2026.”

  4. Remember when Joe Rogan conflated measles with the chicken pox and laughed about how moms hosted measles parties to spread it intentionally?

    Millions of Americans listen to this idiot.

    Maybe we just aren’t as great as we scream that we are.

  6. I had measles in 1962. I had to be quarantined in my grandparents’ home under the care of a private duty nurse who moved in with me, for two weeks so as to not infect my younger siblings.
    I missed two weeks of school and spent the remainder of the school year catching up. I have no idea how much that cost to arrange, or what it might cost in today’s dollars.

    If you don’t have anybody in the family who can afford to take two weeks off work to care for a sick child, or the means to hire a private nurse, or grandparents who have the space to house such an invasion, you had better get your kids vaccinated. It’s a nasty virus which can disrupt the entire family, burn through the parents’ PTO, and cost a lot of money, not to mention the potential complications which the patients themselves can endure.

    1. I and my siblings got measles Thanksgiving 1969 when an aunt brought a cranky coughing baby to family dinner. Over the weekend, the baby had the rash break out, and we had already been back to school one day when we found out. The whole school was immediately vaccinated, including us, but we all had the rash by the next weekend and was sick through Christmas. GET ALL VACCINATIONS ASAP. Never not do it.

      1. when my brother had measles in either ’57 or ’58 (the year I was in 3rd grade is how I remember) there was no vaccine, just gamma globulin and we got that. Those shots were painful, as there is a comparatively large volume injected. It was supposed to prevent severe disease; the plan was, we would still get the measles, but it would not be so severe. (But I did not get measles that year, I got it in 1962.)
        The fact that measles exposure was treated the same way as a rabies exposure, with shots of gamma globulin, tells us previous generations considered measles to be a really bad disease.

  7. If someone decides public‑health basics are optional, that’s adorable. But they shouldn’t act shocked when the rest of society prefers they enjoy a little… personal space… until they’re ready to rejoin the grown‑ups. In other words, stay the f home.

    1. So, the word from Brookings is if your child is not vaccinated, and he has been exposed to the measles virus, you are to isolate him for 21 days whether he falls ill or not. Can’t go to school, can’t go to day care, can’t go to the Boys and Girls Club.
      So who is going to stay home with the kids for three weeks?

      1. We all have choices, that is the beauty of our country. If you choose an option there may be result of that choice that you may have to deal with. The funniest social media comments about the measles issue up in Milbank are the ones saying “Homeschool for the Win” or “This is why you should Homeschool”. Ask a local up there how it got into the school. I understand why this will never be made public or why the school won’t/can’t comment on it but it is ironic to say the least.

      2. Should’ve thought of that when they chose Not to protect them from a potentially deadly disease.

  8. People have been able to opt out of mandatory school vaccinations by signing a statement that they want a medical exemption. This is not a note from a licensed health care provider, it is just a statement from a parent who gets her medical advice from Joe Rogan.
    Tbe religious exemption works the same way. Nobody is required to produce a note from a local religious leader or explain what religion it is that prohibits any vaccination. They just claim they heard it on the internet.
    Given how loose that is, vaccine mandates are useless.

    I know a young man who developed measles encephalitis which resulted in a seizure disorder. But it could have been worse:

    https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=post%20measles%20encephalopathy&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5

  9. If we end up with an unvaccinated super spreader in South Dakota inflicting costs on others especially for those who are vaccinated and vulnerable should their be legal liability? Victims can seek damages?

    How many legislators do we have are anti-vaxxers themselves and push anti-vax legislation? Who are they so we can vote them out?
    https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/02/04/grant-county-man-visits-public-places-in-brookings-milbank-while-infectious-with-measles/

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