“A perfect measles’ storm: Vaccine skepticism and failed leadership broke public trust”
by Lyndon Haviland
“Measles is one of the most contagious communicable diseases on record. It’s also extremely easy to control in a safe way, thanks to the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, credited with protecting tens of millions of people from the virus around the world over the past 50 years.
So … how did we get here? The answer: distrust.
Distrust in health experts, who years ago were revered as national authorities on serious medical issues. Distrust in public health agencies, the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration specifically, once respected as credible information resources. Distrust in the strength and rigor of vaccine testing protocols, the pharmaceutical industry itself and the broader politicization of public health.
It’s not too late. The U.S. can restore confidence in its public health institutions and those who represent them if it responds decisively in situations like the Texas measles outbreak. Americans need to hear health leaders such as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. urging parents everywhere to have their children immunized with the MMR vaccine. The science is clear.
Instead, this week the HHS secretary advised parents to consider immunization, clarifying that the decision to do so is a “personal one.” Weighing the option to vaccinate and consulting a healthcare provider is his definition of a “call to action” for American families to address the growing measles crisis.””
to read the full article go to
https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5180403-measles-outbreak-vaccine-hesitancy/
“Without action, Spring Break could create The Gulf of Measles”
by Scott A. Rivkees and Georges C. Benjamin
“Public health has taught us that we usually underestimate the potential severity of outbreaks, as we recently saw with COVID-19. Considering the current outbreaks and impending spring break travel, public health strategies need to be implemented now.
First, cases must be reported in real-time at the local, state and national levels….
Second, we must prepare large-scale measles vaccination events in communities with measles exposures and unvaccinated people….
Third, state and local Department of Health contact-tracing teams need to expand to prepare for outbreak control….
Fourth, we need to realize that there will be a large influx of individuals into areas where potential outbreaks occur.
Thousands of individuals travel to the Gulf states during spring break and Mardi Gras. If not vaccinated and exposed to somebody with measles, they are at risk for contracting the illness and spreading it across the country as they return home….
Fifth, we need to acknowledge the importance of community engagement in outbreak control….
Finally, we must inform the public about the facts and truth of measles and current cases. The notion that measles outbreaks of this magnitude are “not unusual” or that vitamin A is a treatment or preventative measure against measles in the U.S. is wrong.”
to read the full article go to
https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5177814-measles-outbreak-texas-vaccination/
“Nearly 230 measles cases reported in outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico”
By Neha Mukherjee, CNN
“Nearly 230 measles cases have been identified in outbreaks in West Texas and a nearby county in New Mexico. Experts say the rising totals – and two recent deaths – suggest that cases are vastly undercounted.”
“One to three of 1,000 children who have measles will die from virus complications, according to the CDC.
“They’ve had two deaths,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Philadelphia Children’s Hospital. “I think what this tells you is that they have vastly underestimated the number of cases that are in those communities.””
to read the full article go to
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/07/health/measles-outbreaks-texas-new-mexico/index.html
“US Measles Cases Jump 35% in a Week, Now Found in a Dozen States”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-07/us-measles-cases-jump-35-in-a-week-now-found-in-a-dozen-states
“How a measles outbreak overwhelmed a small West Texas town”
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/nx-s1-5312107/how-a-measles-outbreak-overwhelmed-a-small-west-texas-town
“The Dangers of R.F.K., Jr.,’s Measles Response”
By Jessica Winter
“Kennedy has spoken disparagingly of both Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act—two deeply flawed attempts to inch toward something resembling comprehensive coverage for everyone. Then again, it’s unclear that he understands much about health-care policy at all. He has claimed, for example, that “Medicaid is fully paid for by the federal government” (it is not), that Medicaid “premiums are too high” (Medicaid recipients, by and large, do not pay premiums), and that health-savings accounts should be introduced into Medicaid (what?).”
to read the full article go to
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-dangers-of-rfk-jrs-measles-response
“Doctors push back as parents embrace Kennedy and vitamin A in Texas measles outbreak”
By Chad Terhune
“As a measles outbreak spreads across West Texas, Dr. Ana Montanez is fighting an uphill battle to convince some parents that vitamin A – touted by vaccine critics as effective against the highly contagious virus – will not protect their children.”
Increasingly, however, she also has to counter misleading information. One mother, she said, told her she was giving her two children high doses of vitamin A to ward off measles, based on an article posted by Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. nearly a decade before he became President Donald Trump’s top health official.
“Wait, what are you doing? That was a red flag,” Montanez said in an interview. “This is a tight community, and I think if one family does one thing, everybody else is going to follow. Even if I can’t persuade you to vaccinate, I can at least educate you on misinformation.””
to read the full article got to
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/doctors-push-back-parents-embrace-kennedy-vitamin-texas-measles-outbreak-2025-03-08/
“Update On Bergen County Measles Patients And NJ Case Numbers Released
Caren Lissner”
“The Record of Hackensack later reported that the first person was a child who had also spent time at an urgent care facility in Fort Lee and at Hackensack Medical Center, besides visiting the Englewood Hospital Emergency Room.”
to read the full story go to
https://patch.com/new-jersey/ridgewood/update-bergen-county-measles-patients-nj-case-numbers-released