Resistance And Mistrust Around Vaccinations Aren’t Anything New–They’ve Always Existed Together
Although the antivaccination movement has grown in the past few years, thanks in part to social media, there has always been a fierce outcry against compulsory shots for as long as vaccines have been used. Experts are hoping to leverage the recent outbreak in the Pacific Northwest to change minds. And some recent trends suggest that it might be the case.
CNN:
Vaccine U-Turn: Measles Surges As Campaigners Ride Populist Wave Of Distrust In Government
More than a century before Facebook, anti-vaccination campaigners had another method for spreading their message -- an eye-catching march through town with tiny children's coffins emblazoned with the words: "Another victim of vaccination." The year was 1885, and smallpox vaccinations were compulsory in the UK -- reportedly inciting 100,000 people to demonstrate in the city of Leicester, England, one sunny March day. Fast-forward to 2019 and the anti-vaccination campaign is a global, multi-faced beast -- spurred by safety concerns, religious and political beliefs, preferences for homeopathic approaches and widespread misinformation. (McKenzie and Fox, 2/18)
The New York Times:
As Measles Outbreak Flares, Vaccination Rates Soar And Some Come Off The Fence
The one-day immunization clinic at David Douglas High School in Portland, Ore., was hectic on Saturday, with a wait of 45 minutes to over an hour just to see a nurse. But Cameron Wagner said that after balking this long at getting her 4-year-old son vaccinated, out of concerns about potential side effects, a few more minutes would not matter. “I’ve talked to more doctors and have weighed the options, and decided to come in and get a shot,” said Ms. Wagner, 46, a massage therapist. (Johnson, 2/16)
Reuters:
Explainer: Low Vaccination Rates, Global Outbreaks Fuel U.S. Measles Spread
A measles outbreak that has stricken at least 225 people in New York state since October began with a traveler who visited Israel during the Jewish high holidays and returned to a predominantly ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Rockland County. A similar pattern unfolded three months later and nearly 3,000 miles away when a person who visited Eastern Europe returned to a community with strong ties to a local church group in Vancouver, Washington. More than 50 people fell ill there. (2/15)
CNN:
Officials Hope To Change Minds Amid 'Exquisitely Contagious' Measles Outbreak
Officials in Clark County, Washington, publish a list every day of where people infected with measles have been. Among them: busy spots like Concourse D at Oregon's Portland International Airport on January 7 and the sold-out Portland Trail Blazers' home game four days later. There's also a Costco, a Trader Joe's, numerous schools, day-care centers and churches, a swimming pool and even a trampoline park. "It is exquisitely contagious," said Dr. Alan Melnick, director of the county health department. "You can be in a room where somebody with measles had left two hours earlier and still get the disease." (Watt, 2/13)
The Hill:
Washington State House Committee Passes Bill To Ban Personal, Philosophical Vaccine Exemptions
A Washington state House committee on Friday passed a bill to ban the personal or philosophical exemption for the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) for school-age children amid an outbreak of the virus. The bill passed through the state's Health Care and Wellness Committee, despite opposition from critics who say parents should have a right to choose whether to vaccinate their children, The Seattle Times reported. (Gstalter, 2/16)
Seattle Times:
Amid Measles Outbreak, State House Panel Moves To Ban Personal Vaccine Exemptions
House Bill 1638 moved through the Health Care and Wellness Committee on a primarily party-line vote despite vocal opposition from critics who say the injections can cause harm that outweighs the benefits associated with avoiding certain preventable diseases. All nine Democrats voted in favor, while the bill’s prime sponsor — Rep. Paul Harris of Vancouver, Clark County — was the only Republican on the committee to support it. Rep. Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, the top Republican on the committee, argued that while he thinks every child should be vaccinated, parents should also retain the right to choose. (Goldstein-Street, 2/15)
The Oregonian:
6 New Measles Cases In Vancouver-Area Outbreak
Five children and one adult have been newly diagnosed with measles in Clark County, public health officials said Saturday, breaking a lull in new cases that saw just one new diagnosis in a week. The total between Washington and Oregon is now at 64, with 59 in Clark County, one in King County, and four in Multnomah County. Five of the six new patients were unvaccinated, according to Clark County Public Health, and one had received just the first of two recommended doses. (Zarkhin, 2/17)
The Oregonian:
Vancouver-Area Measles Outbreak Jumps By Nearly 10 People In 3 Days
In little more than a week, nearly 10 more people have been diagnosed with measles, breaking a weeklong lull in new cases. Clark County Public Health identified a child who was unvaccinated and has measles Monday afternoon after a morning update said there were no new cases. This brings the total number of cases to 67 -- 62 in Clark County, four in Oregon and one in the Seattle area. (Hamburger, 2/18)
New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Louisiana Health Officials Urge Doctors To Be On Alert For Measles
The Louisiana Department of Health urged healthcare providers around the state to be on the lookout for measles cases as other parts of the United States continue to report new cases. Louisiana has not reported any measles cases so far this year. Two confirmed cases were reported in New Orleans last year. Those cases involved travelers who contracted the illness while traveling abroad. Both adult patients were not vaccinated with the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella). (Clark, 2/15)
Stat:
Vaccines Don't Work Against Some Viruses. CRISPR Might Fix That
Despite decades of trying, there are still no vaccines against viruses that kill tens of millions of people and cause untold suffering every year: HIV, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, and the cancer-causing Epstein-Barr virus. There are many reasons why, including how hard it is to identify the exact piece of an antigen that will trigger production of an effective antibody. And even when vaccines exist, they fail when B cells don’t rearrange their DNA segments in a way necessary to manufacture the needed antibodies. (Begley, 2/19)
