A Bill To Eliminate Religious Exemptions Languished For Years In New York, But Measles Outbreak May Jolt Hesitant Lawmakers
Despite Democrats having a stronghold on the New York Legislature, there seems to have been little appetite to take up legislation that would eliminate religious exemptions. As the current measles outbreak continues to spiral out of control, however, some minds are changing. In other news on the measles outbreak: vaccination production, a quarantined cruise ship, movie theater exposure, and more.
The New York Times:
Measles Outbreak: Why A Bid To End Religious Exemptions For Vaccines Has Stalled
As New York has emerged as the epicenter of a national outbreak of measles, local lawmakers and health officials have struggled to compel some ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, where most of the cases have been found, to drop their resistance to vaccinations. Public health emergencies have been declared in New York City and Rockland County; summonses have been issued to those not abiding by vaccination requirements; and schools have been closed. (McKinley, 5/1)
Reuters:
Merck Steps Up U.S. Measles Vaccine Production With Increased Demand
Merck & Co said on Wednesday it has increased production of the measles vaccine to meet an uptick in demand in the United States in the midst of the country's biggest outbreak in 25 years. Merck, the sole U.S. supplier of measles vaccines, said the increased demand was noticeable, but did not amount to a surge, and has not required a significant increase in distribution across the country. (Erman, 5/1)
The New York Times:
Cruise Ship Quarantined In St. Lucia After Measles Case Is Reported
The Caribbean nation of St. Lucia has quarantined a cruise ship on the island after identifying a confirmed case of measles on board, a health official said. Passengers and crew aboard the large ship were not permitted to leave, Dr. Merlene Fredericks-James, the nation’s chief medical officer, said on Tuesday. The highly infectious disease, which can be prevented by a common vaccination, is in the midst of its largest outbreak in a quarter century in the United States, with more than 700 cases reported. (Victor, 5/2)
The Washington Post:
Measles On Cruise Ship: Hundreds Quarantined In St. Lucia
Authorities confirmed the case Tuesday morning, said Merlene Fredericks James, St. Lucia’s chief medical officer. The vessel was locked down later that day, an attempt to stymie any potential spread of the highly contagious disease that is sickening people in the United States at a record pace, fueled by anti-vaccination misinformation. “No one was allowed to leave the ship,” Fredericks James said in a statement. “Because of the risk of potential infection, not just from the confirmed measles case but from other persons who may be on the boat at the time, we thought it prudent to make a decision not to allow anyone to disembark.” (Thebault, 5/1)
The Hill:
'Avengers: Endgame' Crowd May Have Been Exposed To Measles, California Health Officials Warn
Health officials in Orange County, California are warning moviegoers that they could have been exposed to measles last week after a woman who went to a viewing of “Avengers: Endgame” reported having been diagnosed with measles. According to a local NBC affiliate, the woman was diagnosed with the virus shortly after she attended a late-night showing of the blockbuster film last week at an AMC theater in Fullerton. (Foley, 5/1)
San Jose Mercury News:
‘Avengers’ Screening Among Measles Exposure Sites In Orange County
A Placentia woman in her 20s who went to see “Avengers: Endgame” during the opening weekend is the first confirmed case of measles in Orange County in 2019, health officials announced Tuesday, April 30. The Orange County Health Care agency advised people of potential exposure locations, including the AMC Theater on Lemon Street in Fullerton, between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. April 25, at a showing of “Avengers.” (Bharath and Smith, 5/1)
Arizona Republic:
An Out-Of-State Visitor Exposed Arizonans To Measles. What You Should Know
A traveler with measles exposed Arizonans to the virus after flying into Tucson from New York last month, the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services said Wednesday. Anyone who was at Tucson International Airport on April 29 from 6 a.m. to 10:40 p.m. may have been exposed to the virus, ADHS Director Cara Christ said. (Price, 5/1)
Arizona Republic:
Some Adults Born Before 1989 May Need A Measles Vaccine Booster Shot
Adults born before 1957 were most likely exposed to measles and should have immunity, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But adults vaccinated before 1989 — and particularly those born between 1957 and 1967 — could be more vulnerable. (Innes, 5/1)
And in other vaccination news —
Bloomberg:
Glaxo’s Shingles Vaccine Helps Boost Earnings Over Estimates
GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s shingles vaccine helped counter new competition for its aging asthma treatment as the U.K. drugmaker posted first-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ estimates. Shingrix, the shot that’s become a key growth driver for Glaxo, handily exceeded expectations, according to a statement Wednesday. The company said the vaccine, approved in late 2017, will likely generate significantly more than 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) in sales this year. (Paton, 5/1)
