Unvaccinated dating events face backlash as measles cases rise in Colorado

A plan to set up a dating event for people opposed to vaccination in Denver ran into serious trouble before it even started. The organizer of the "Unjected" singles meetup chose a local beer garden as the venue, only for the owner to cancel the booking after hearing what the event was about. Community members also spoke out strongly against the idea, pushing the organizer to call off the plan. This rejection shows broader concerns about public health, especially as preventable diseases like measles make a comeback in areas where fewer people choose vaccination. The Unjected dating app, created in 2021, once advertised itself as a place for people to connect romantically with others who avoid mRNA technology. The app originally claimed to welcome "mRNA free partners, " ignoring the fact that mRNA exists naturally in all living cells. This odd claim didn’t help its reputation and was later removed from public view. Still, the app’s social media pages continue to spread misleading statements, including false claims that COVID-19 vaccines cause mass harm.Measles cases in Colorado have jumped this year, reaching 17, a number not seen since vaccination became widespread. One infected child, too young to be vaccinated, ended up in the hospital after coming into contact with others who also avoided vaccines. The highly contagious virus stays in the air for hours after an infected person leaves, putting everyone nearby—whether vaccinated or not—at risk. Before the measles vaccine became available in 1963, almost every child caught the disease, leading to thousands of hospital stays and hundreds of deaths every year. The vaccine changed that, nearly wiping out the disease in the United States by 2000. Now, groups promoting vaccine refusal have helped bring back preventable illnesses. Diseases once considered under control are spreading again, and Colorado’s rising measles cases serve as a warning about the risks of ignoring science-based health advice.