To resolve the measles outbreak in western Australia, take a look at Africa.

This may be easier when, in my work with a non-profit organization dealing with health systems in Africa, we are constantly reminded that deaths of children under 5 years have fallen by nearly 60% worldwide since 1990and vaccines make a major contribution to this progress.

Still, Washington State has one of the lowest measles immunization rates in the United States – lower than many low- and middle-income countries. Last Friday, Governor Jay Inslee declared the state of emergency in response to more than two dozen confirmed cases of measles in our state.

We are not alone – last year, In the United States and the District of Columbia, 26 states reported a measles outbreak. Indeed, years of unfounded fear of vaccination, as we have seen in this state, have prompted the World Health Organization to qualify the hesitation vis-à-vis vaccines to Main threats to public health in 2019.

Compare that to what I saw living and working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda to improve access to health care. Mothers and fathers line up with their children outside the clinics to make sure their children are vaccinated. I saw caregivers and babies wait patiently for hours while health workers filled out the papers for the 80 children who presented for a vaccination session in a remote village.

With newly confirmed cases in Oregon, New York and Atlanta, we can safely say that measles is sweeping the country again. I can not help thinking about what we – parents, policy makers and citizens – can learn from our African counterparts.

1. African countries provide political leadership on immunization: Unlike the silence or even the criticism of vaccines by US political leaders, African leaders speak frequently and publicly about the benefits of immunization. It is not uncommon for heads of state and other officials to publicly receive a vaccine, give an oral dose to a child, or publicly approve the launch of a new vaccine. Governor Inslee has the opportunity to do the same, and a starting point would be to tour countries across the state to dispel the fears of vaccination.
2. Immunization programs provide a platform for the provision of other health services: In sub-Saharan Africa, where my organization works, immunization programs are often the first point of contact for people with the health system. Strong community-based immunization programs can support the provision of other preventive care – nutrition for children, birth planning for new mothers, and malaria prevention efforts. Conversely, in Seattle, almost everyone has access to the health care system. the Seattle Public School Nursing Program even provides school-aged children with health services directly at their school. This year, some schools even offered influenza vaccines to students. School nurses can be powerful advocates of the importance of respecting vaccination schedules. Hope that the parents will be attentive.
3. Communication campaigns for immunization abound: It is difficult to find a panel showing the benefits of vaccines in the office of an American doctor, let alone in other public spaces. In most African countries, immunization equipment is exposed from the offices of the Ministry of Health to clinics in the most rural villages. And community leaders and parents are invited to share reliable information with their neighbors and dispel rumors. Washington State has thousands of ferries, buses, and trains pbading through urban and rural areas – and part of State of Washington Health Promotion System, a comprehensive campaign could provide pro-vaccine communications that follow the initiative of ministries of health across Africa.
4. Immunization programs are viewed with hope rather than skepticism: The measles vaccine was used in the United States from 1963It took more than three decades for it to reach many places, like in Ecuador in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where one of our colleagues explained how measles outbreaks had decimated communities up to # 39, at the introduction of the vaccine in 1996. Progress is still needed, the government has given priority to immunization programs of populations in remote areas. The country is also embrace the experimental Ebola vaccine, which should help end the second most deadly Ebola epidemic in history.

The United States is experiencing a resurgence of diseases such as measles resulting from low vaccination rates. In the state of Washington, we look at the the number of confirmed cases increases almost daily. Experts warn that as vaccination refusals continue, new epidemics will occur.

There are so many other health problems that require our time, our energy and our collective resources. We can not afford to revisit those we have already solved.