Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
What About Adults And Measles? Here's A Primer On That Vaccine And Many Others, Including Shingles
NPR: Vaccines For Adults: What You Should Know
Amid one of the largest measles outbreaks in the U.S. in recent history, vaccines are on the minds of many Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this week that the number of measles cases this year has climbed to 839 in 23 states, affecting mostly unvaccinated people. Most people in the U.S. are vaccinated against measles when they're children as part of the routine immunizations they get in primary care. (Gordon, 5/15)
Boston Globe: This Doctor Posted Online In Favor Of Immunization. Then Vaccine Opponents Targeted Her
Dr. Monique Tello was attending a medical conference last fall when a speaker on social media suggested the physicians search themselves on Google. Why not, thought Tello, an internist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She was stunned by what she found. More than 100 negative one-star reviews and derogatory comments had been posted about her on popular physician rating websites. “Ignorant, and could care less about her patients,’’ she recalled one poster writing. (Kowalczyk, 5/11)
The Oregonian: Oregon Governor Nixes Vaccine Bill As US Measles Count Soars
Critics blasted a decision by Oregon Democrats that killed a bill aimed at getting more children vaccinated for measles and other preventable diseases in order pass a tax on large businesses, saying it jeopardized public health. Despite passing the House and having the necessary votes in the Senate, the measure to make it harder for families to opt out of required vaccinations was nixed as part of a deal announced Monday to end a week-long Senate Republican walkout over a multibillion school funding tax. (5/15)
The CT Mirror: Lawmakers Poised To Announce Plan For Repealing Religious Exemption On Vaccines
Legislative leaders are preparing to unveil their plans for removing the state’s religious exemption on mandatory vaccines, a hot-button topic that has provoked heated debate and brought hundreds to the Capitol to speak out against the move. House Majority Leader Matthew Ritter, D-Hartford, said Wednesday that lawmakers are expected to make an announcement by the end of the week. (Carlesso, 5/15)
