Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
For Many Countries, Poverty Lays At The Heart Of Why Measles, Once Nearly Vanquished, Has Returned
The New York Times: Scientists Thought They Had Measles Cornered. They Were Wrong.
The measles outbreak that led to a state of emergency in New York’s Rockland County began far away: in an annual Hasidic pilgrimage from Israel to Ukraine. It is emblematic of a series of fierce, sometimes connected measles outbreaks — in places as diverse as Indonesia, the Philippines, Madagascar and Venezuela — that have shaken global health officials, revealing persistent shortcomings in the world’s vaccination efforts and threatening to tarnish what had been a signature public health achievement. (McNeil, 4/3)
Kaiser Health News: Even Amid Measles Outbreaks, Oregon Model Offers Easy Vaccine Exemptions
As measles outbreaks continue in the Northwest and across the nation, newly revealed health records from Oregon suggest it’s surprisingly easy to opt out of required vaccinations in that state — as in several others. In Oregon — which has the highest kindergarten vaccine exemption rate in the U.S. — about 95% of parents whose kids skip one or more vaccines use a print-your-own certificate to do so. That’s according to data from the Oregon Health Authority, which shows that of more than 31,500 non-medical vaccine exemptions submitted last year, nearly 30,000 were documented by parents who watched an online education video and then printed out a do-it-yourself form. (Aleccia, 4/4)
Sacramento Bee: UC Davis Alerted 200 People About March 17 Measles Exposure
UC Davis Health said Wednesday they sent out roughly 200 letters to people who may have been exposed to the highly contagious measles virus March 17 in the emergency department at UCD Medical Center. A young girl taken care of there was diagnosed with the illness. (Anderson, 4/3)
WBUR: What You Should Know About Measles, After A Case Confirmed In Mass.
Measles is infamously contagious. Symptoms usually begin a couple of weeks after exposure, ranging from 10 to 18 days afterward, and they tend to be non-specific at first, including a fever, runny nose and red, watery eyes. A rash usually breaks out two to four days later, beginning on the face. (Goldberg, 4/3)
