Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: Lessons On How To Wipe Out Fear Of Vaccines; Vitamin A Isn't Going To Cut It When It Comes To Preventing Measles
The Washington Post: I Used To Be Opposed To Vaccines. This Is How I Changed My Mind.
Just a few years ago, I was opposed to vaccines. I felt that the risks of measles were being exaggerated when periodic outbreaks would occur. I refused to get my tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis booster when my doctor offered it, and I declined the flu shot every year. I particularly regret the decision regarding the flu shot. As a hospital employee at the time, even though I worked in an area where I did not come into contact with patients, if I had caught the flu during that time, I could have spread it, putting others at risk. (Rose Branigin, 2/11)
The Wall Street Journal: Didn’t We Already Beat Measles?
Many conservatives are fond of an old T.S. Eliot line: There is no such thing as a Lost Cause because there is no such thing as a Gained Cause. The latest proof of that second truth is the Pacific Northwest’s outbreak of measles, a disease scrubbed from the U.S. nearly 20 years ago. There are now 53 measles cases confirmed for Clark County in Washington, which sits across the river from Portland, Ore. Almost all of those sickened are children who didn’t receive their vaccines. The authorities have published a list of possible “exposure sites” that infected people visited: a Trail Blazers basketball game, a Walmart Supercenter and the Portland International Airport. (2/12)
The Hill: Anti-Vax And Anti-Abortion Movements Are Filled With Misinformation
Volume 0% The World Health Organization recently issued an alarm about the resurgence of measles globally as a result of immunization refusals. Teens in the U.S. are seeking ways to get vaccinations on their own, in spite of their parents’ anti-vaxxing positions.As a nurse practicing for the past 10 years, I’ve see the recent rise of the anti-vax movement as well as the anti-abortion movement as symptoms of a lack of understanding of safe, evidence-based medical practices. (Terry Gallagher, 2/12)
