Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Making Vaccines Mandatory Is The Best Choice For All Communities
The Hill: Opting Out Of Measles Vaccine Could Be A Death Sentence For Others
Immunizations have been such a resounding public health success that most Americans have never seen a child with measles, mumps, diphtheria or many of the other diseases that once killed or maimed thousands every year. As a result, it has been too easy for misinformation about vaccines to take root and spread, because parents have the luxury of fearing the vaccines instead of the diseases. (Rahul Gupta, 4/10)
The Washington Post: Religious Leaders Should Step Up On Vaccinations
Last week saw a minor victory for vaccination advocates amid the United States' ongoing measles outbreak: A Kentucky judge ruled against a lawsuit filed by 18-year-old Jerome Kunkel against the Northern Kentucky Health Department, claiming the department had discriminated against Kunkel by asking schools to exclude students not vaccinated for chicken pox from school and extracurricular activities. Kunkel argued that he had refused the vaccine on religious grounds because he is Catholic, and that the vaccine is derived from cells taken from the tissue of aborted human fetuses. The judge ruled the health department hadn’t discriminated against Kunkel. (Elizabeth Bruenig, 4/8)
Bloomberg: New York Measles Outbreak: Mandatory Vaccination Makes Sense
Facing the largest measles outbreak in 28 years, New York City has resorted to mandatory vaccination in one Brooklyn neighborhood, with $1,000 fines for noncompliance. The city had little choice. When anti-vaccination resistance raises the danger level this high, authorities must take all necessary steps to safeguard public health. (4/10)
The Washington Post: Anti-Vaxxers Are Comparing Themselves To Holocaust Victims — Who Relied On Vaccines To Survive
In the wake of measles outbreaks in recent months, some public health officials have created strict rules concerning unvaccinated children in public spaces, such as schools and houses of worship. In some places, the spread of the disease has even led officials to declare a state of emergency. In response, anti-vaccination protesters have begun wearing yellow stars, claiming that rules based on vaccination status are analogous to the inhumane treatment of Jews during the Holocaust. (Helene Sinnreich, 4/10)
