[ad_1]
Health officials around the world are struggling to stop a series of measles outbreaks. Measles cases dropped after the UN launched a global vaccination campaign in 2001, but some countries are unable to sustain recurrent spending.
In some developed countries, such as the United States, fears of side effects slow vaccinations. This has contributed to fueling epidemics that have left hundreds of patients up to now this year. At present, a city in the state of New York has declared an emergency.
Karina Huber of the CGTN has details.
According to the US Center for Disease Control, the measles epidemic in Rockland County, a suburb of New York, was triggered by a group of infected travelers from other countries.
Since October, the county has reported more than 150 cases of measles, mostly among ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities. Local officials addressed the problem with a public health campaign focusing on the importance of immunization. They also removed nearly 6,000 unvaccinated children from school.
Nearly 17,000 doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine were administered, but this did not prevent the disease from spreading. That's why, in March, the county made the unusual decision to call for a state of emergency, barring unvaccinated children and adolescents from traveling to public places.
"Under the state of emergency, all persons under the age of 18 are excluded from public gathering places, including shopping venues, restaurants, schools, and places of worship, so to prevent the spread of measles, "said Rockland County attorney Thomas Humbach.
Humbach said the county had taken a drastic step, some refusing to cooperate in the vaccination campaign. Jewish leaders said anti-vaccination campaigns have resonated with the population.
"The anti-vaxxer movement across the country is very strong," said Gary Siepser, Jewish Federation and Rockland County Foundation. "He found his way in social media and baffled parents and people about the importance of immunization."
Some fear that the ban will further isolate the ultra-Orthodox community, but others said it was necessary.
"It's a pretty strong measure, but it's used to protect children, the community and especially to protect children with underlying medical conditions who, if they had measles, could have serious consequences," said Daniel Salmon of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School. public health.
New York is one of 15 states struggling with measles. Nearly 400 cases were reported in the first three months of this year. States reporting CDC cases are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington. Salmon said these areas were closely monitoring Rockland County's approach.
"If it works, I would not be very surprised if, in the midst of measles outbreaks elsewhere, public health officials do not react in the same way," said Salmon.
About 73 percent of Rockland County's youth have been vaccinated against measles, but experts said the vaccination rate will have to exceed 90 percent to get things moving.
Related
[ad_2]
Source link
