Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Yes, You Might Want To Think About Getting A Measles Shot Even If You Were Vaccinated As A Kid
The New York Times: Should Adults Get A Measles Booster Shot?
Because of this year’s sharp increase in measles cases — which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has blamed a deliberate misinformation campaign by anti-vaccine activists for — many Americans are wondering whether they need to be vaccinated. The C.D.C. emphasizes that children are the most important group to reach. Outbreaks spread rapidly in preschools and kindergartens, and young children often have infant siblings too young to get the vaccine. But some adults, too, should consult with their doctors and consider getting the shot. (McNeil, 4/30)
The New York Times: Where Every Measles Case Has Been Reported This Year
Most of the cases have occurred in New York, Michigan and Washington State. The disease spread in Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and in Rockland County, New York, before being carried to Michigan. A large outbreak in southern Washington State spread mostly among unvaccinated children under 10 years old. And last week, hundreds of people were put under quarantine at two Los Angeles universities after an outbreak there. (Cai, Lu and Reinhard, 4/30)
NPR: Measles History 101: How Serious Is This Year's Measles Outbreak?
In 2000, the Pan American Health Organization announced a monumental public health achievement: Widespread vaccination efforts, overseen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had effectively eliminated measles from the United States. The disease, which before the vaccination era affected 3 million to 4 million people in the U.S. each year, was now isolated to small, contained outbreaks connected to international travel. (Lambert, 4/30)
NPR: How Did We Get Here? 7 Things To Know About Measles
Americans could be forgiven for not knowing that much about measles. After all, it's been 51 years since an effective vaccine was introduced, quickly turning the disease from a common childhood experience to a rarity, and nearly two decades since the disease was declared eliminated from the U.S. But outbreaks have surfaced throughout the country over the past few months, affecting more than 700 people. (Lambert, 4/30)
Bloomberg: How Measles Made A Comeback After Elimination In U.S.: Quicktake
Thanks to the introduction of a vaccine in 1963, measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. Yet the number of cases of the highly contagious disease this year has surpassed 700, spread across 22 states and focused in New York. The outbreak has prompted authorities to quarantine university students, fine parents for not immunizing their children and bar unvaccinated minors from public places. (Goldman, 5/1)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Amid Measles Scare, Wisconsin Legislators Seek To End Vaccines Waiver
As the most severe wave of measles in 19 years spreads across the country, state representatives are trying, for the second time, to eliminate Wisconsin's "personal conviction" vaccines waiver. Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, reintroduced the bill to do so Tuesday, three years after his first attempt failed to make it out of committee. (Shastri, 4/30)
