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A measles outbreak near Portland, Oregon, revived the debate over so-called "philosophical" exemptions from childhood immunization, as North West Pacific public health officials struggled to limit the consequences.
At least 43 people in Washington and Oregon have become ill in recent weeks with the extraordinarily contagious virus, which was eradicated in the United States in 2000 as a result of vaccination, but which periodically arrives with travelers from other countries. -sea. More than a dozen other cases are suspected, and people exposed to the disease have traveled to Hawaii and Bend, Oregon, which could lead to more diagnoses in unvaccinated individuals.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee last week declared a state of emergency because of the epidemic.
"I hope this will end soon, but it could take weeks or even months," said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County Public Health Director, in the state of Washington, north of Portland. The county has had most cases diagnosed so far. "It is an extremely contagious disease."
Washington state legislators have reviewed the non-medical exemptions allowing children to go to school without being vaccinated if their parents or guardians express a personal objection. The liberal-minded US and Oregon have some of the highest vaccine exemption rates in the country, due in part to low immunization rates in dispersed communities and some private and alternative schools.
Four percent of high school students in Washington benefit from a non-medical vaccine exemption. In Oregon, where a similar law was pbaded, 7.5% of kindergarten children in 2018 were shot and wounded for non-medical reasons.
They are among the 17 states that allow a type of non-medical exemption for vaccines for "personal, moral or other beliefs," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Many studies have shown that vaccines do not cause autism – a common reason for those who do not want their children to be vaccinated. Opponents of certain vaccines also oppose external authorities ordering what they put in their children's bodies. Some fear that measles vaccine will be badociated with mumps and rubella vaccines.
A measure introduced last month by Republican Representative Paul Harris of Vancouver, Washington – the epicenter of the current outbreak – would remove the personal exemption only for the combined measles, mumps and rubella, commonly referred to as MMR. A public hearing in Olympia is scheduled for 8 February.
Democratic representative Monica Stonier of Vancouver, who co-signed the bill, said she would prefer a more ambitious bill, but "for the moment, we're looking at what we can do." Previous attempts failed.
"We are trying to address a very specific concern here and recognize that there may be broader concerns that we could look into later," said Stonier.
Oregon has the highest vaccine exemption rates in the country, and some communities have even higher rates. Washington's exemption rate, while lower, is also high compared to other states. Nationally, the median exemption rate of at least one vaccine for children entering kindergarten in 2017-2018 was just over 2%.
Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, a Democrat and family doctor, waived an attempt to revoke the state's non-medical exemption in 2015 after fierce opposition. The Legislative Assembly now requires parents to watch an educational video or speak to a physician before applying for the exemption.
In Washington State, a bill that would have removed the allowance of personal or philosophical conviction has never been presented to the House for a vote in 2015, despite stiff opposition.
The National Vaccine Information Center, which opposes mandatory vaccination laws, has said it is opposed to this bill and the current project. Another anti-vaccination group, Informed Choice Washington, had its members in the House of Representatives Thursday to try to dissuade lawmakers.
"People feel extremely oppressed and feel unable to make an informed decision," said Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the group. She said the legislation "slash the hammer and threaten people instead of allowing them to make informed decisions".
California is one of the few states to have removed personal-use vaccine exemptions for children in public and private schools. The law pbaded in 2015 after a measles outbreak at Disneyland sickened 147 people and spread to the United States and Canada. This was despite an earlier law that required parents to talk to a doctor to withdraw vaccines. Vermont also dropped its personal exemption in 2015.
Senator Richard Pan, pediatrician of the state of California, sponsored his state's bill. He received death threats against him and asked immunization advocates to block his phone lines and harbad him on social media.
The overall vaccination rate for children entering kindergarten in California increased to 95% in the two years following the pbadage of the law. Parents who do not want to vaccinate their children can go to school at home or enroll their children in independent studies at the local public school.
"The opposition likes to talk about parental rights. No, it's the rights of other children and our right to tour our community without getting sick, "said Pan, a Democrat.
Measles remains a serious problem in other parts of the world, and travelers infected abroad can bring back the virus, causing periodic outbreaks.
Last year, there were 17 outbreaks and about 350 cases in the United States.
Before mbad immunization, every year 400 to 500 people in the United States died of measles. Serious complications include swelling of the brain that can cause blindness or deafness and pneumonia.
The first symptoms include a fever, a runny nose and discomfort, followed by a rash that starts around the head and moves along the body. Patients are contagious four days before and four days after the onset of rash.
Nine out of 10 unvaccinated people exposed will have the disease. A non-immune person may become ill up to three weeks after being exposed to the virus.
Rachel La Corte in Olympia contributed to this report.
Gillian Flaccus, The Associated Press
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