Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo's response to the measles outbreak in the state is concerning to many health experts. As of Sunday, February 25, 2024, eight measles cases had been reported in Florida, WPTV reported, making it the state with the largest outbreak in the United States.
Though the Florida Department of Health describes measles as "a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease" on its website, Ladapo did not promote the vaccine in an email sent to parents of children that go to Manatee Bay Elementary School, the site of Florida's current outbreak, according to NBC News.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles is extremely contagious and can also be serious, especially for children under 6 years old. It's estimated that 1 in 5 Americans who get measles will be hospitalized, as per the CDC.
Measles can be deadly. The CDC estimates that 1 to 3 out of 1,000 people who get measles will die. About 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to measles will end up getting it. The MMR vaccine, which also protects against mumps and rubella, is 97% effective when it comes to protecting people from getting measles.
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Though the vaccine is required for children attending public schools in Florida, exemptions can be issued for medical or religious reasons. The number of parents requesting exemptions has increased, according to NBC6.
In an email sent to parents whose children go to Manatee Bay Elementary School, the site of Florida's current outbreak, Ladapo told parents and guardians to look out for symptoms of measles, but said the decision to send kids to school in the middle of the outbreak was up to them.
“Due to the high immunity rate in the community, as well as the burden on families and educational cost of healthy children missing school, DOH is deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance," Ladapo said in the letter, as per NBC.
Medical experts find this to be an alarming response from the state's surgeon general. Dr. David Kimberlin, co-director of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told NBC that “measles is the most infectious pathogen in humans that we know of."
"It’s like a heat-seeking missile. It will find the people who are not immune, and they’re going to get sick," Dr. Kimberlin told the outlet.
Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told USA Today that "this is a state surgeon general saying that he is not going to enforce any of the tenets of public health in the name of freedom."
However, to Offit, it's not truly about "freedom" — because the current response to the outbreak is "putting children in harm’s way."
Two doses of MMR vaccine are recommended by the CDC (and technically required to attend school). The first dose is recommended at 12 through 15 months of age, while the second dose is recommended at 4 to 6 years old. This means that some students at the school in Florida could have siblings that are too young to be vaccinated, putting them at risk.
Kimberlin told NBC News that those who are skeptical of vaccines will soon find out why they're necessary.
There were 35 measles cases reported in the US as of February 22, 2024. Cases were reported in 15 states. On its website, the Florida Department of Health says vaccination is "the best way to protect against measles."
*Disclaimer: The advice on LittleThings is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
