What Florida is — and isn't — doing to curb the biggest measles outbreak in the US
DeSantis appointee defies expert consensus to stop the spread
Florida has a measles problem. Critics say the state's chief health officer might be making things worse.
As of Tuesday morning there are eight diagnosed cases of the virus in the Sunshine State, USA Today said. That may not sound like a lot, but the virus is "highly contagious." Experts usually prescribe "isolation and vaccination" to curb the measles' spread — and particularly urge unvaccinated children to stay at home from school for 21 days if they have been exposed. Not Joseph Ladapo, the state's surgeon general: Last week he told families that Florida is "deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance."
That's alarming to public health officials around the country, NBC News said. The measles virus is "like a heat-seeking missile," said one expert. Unvaccinated people have a 90% chance of getting sick if exposed to the virus, after all. But The New York Times said Ladapo, hired by Gov. Ron DeSantis during the Covid-19 lockdowns, is known for spreading "dangerous falsehoods" about vaccines. "Basically, it's freedom trumps public health, freedom trumps protection," said Dr. Paul Offit of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This means Florida is conducting a dangerous experiment, Daniel Engber said at The Atlantic. "No one will be forced to not get sick." For the moment, at least, Ladapo "has chosen to lower the guardrails" against the spread of a dangerous and sometimes deadly disease. "So what happens now?"
'Go-to doctor for vaccine deniers'
During the pandemic, Ladapo became the "go-to, Ivy League-educated doctor for vaccine deniers," The Miami Herald said in an editorial. The surgeon general should have told families to "get your children vaccinated — now!" Instead, he's telling parents it's OK to send kids to school "sans immunization." DeSantis and Ladapo ensured that vaccine skepticism "gained force" during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that skepticism will give new force to diseases "we thought belonged in a bygone era."
"Invented in 1963, the measles vaccine is considered one of the greatest public health triumphs of the last century," Kiera Butler said at Mother Jones. The triumph is now threatened. The Centers for Disease Control says that 95% of a population must be immune — either from vaccination or prior infection — to effectively curb the spread of measles. But in Broward County, Florida, just 91.7% of kindergartners are fully vaccinated, part of a trend of falling vaccination rates nationwide. This means we may see more outbreaks of "vaccine-preventable disease."
Ladapo's advice to families is "pathetic," The Palm Beach Post said in its own editorial. The Florida Department of Health "must stop its anti-vax pandering" and take the measles outbreak seriously. Until then, the "likelihood" is that the number of measles cases will grow "as the virus spreads." It's not sufficient to defer to parental decisions when the virus makes a "Petri dish" of schools. "Parental rights is one thing; responding to a dangerous public health crisis is a different matter entirely."
Vaccine rates are falling
Florida isn't the only place where measles cases are on the rise. The virus is spreading "globally," PBS NewsHour said, "in spite of the widespread availability" of vaccines. "We're not just seeing cases, we're seeing transmission, which means vaccine levels aren't what we'd like them to be," said the University of Maryland's Saskia Popescu. The problem may only grow in the United States. While all states require vaccines for school children, "some have adopted or expanded exemptions" for families that have religious or philosophical objections.
Despite Ladapo's advice, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials told Axios that Florida families probably want to isolate their unvaccinated children if they're exposed to measles. That might be disruptive for families, the group's chief medical officer said in a statement, but "imagine how much more disruptive it would be if measles takes hold again in the United States, spreading widely, and impacting children and communities across the entire nation."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a freelance writer who has spent nine years as a syndicated columnist, co-writing the RedBlueAmerica column as the liberal half of a point-counterpoint duo. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic, The Kansas City Star and Heatmap News. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
5 high-caliber cartoons about Kristi Noem shooting her puppy
Cartoons Artists take on the rainbow bridge, a farm upstate, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why is the world running low on blood?
Podcast Scientists believe universal donor blood is within reach – plus, the row over an immersive D-Day simulation, and an Ozempic faux pas
By The Week Staff Published
-
Rishi Sunak's asylum spat with Ireland explained
In Depth Irish government plans to override court ruling that the UK is unsafe for asylum seekers
By The Week UK Published
-
The bird flu fight is faltering
Talking Points Are pandemic lessons going unheeded?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Immunotherapy and hay fever
The Explainer Research shows that the treatment could provide significant relief from symptoms for many hay fever sufferers
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Bird flu worries mount as virus found in milk, cows
Speed Read The FDA found traces of the virus in pasteurized grocery store milk
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Nigeria's worsening rate of maternal mortality
Under the radar Economic crisis is making hospitals unaffordable, with women increasingly not receiving the care they need
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Dangerous substances in Lunchables are raising concerns over children's health
In the Spotlight High levels of lead and sodium were recently found in the snack packages
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Lead poisoning remains a threat
The Explainer The toxin is built into our lives
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
The best health care systems in the world
In the spotlight Getting sick has never felt better
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published