#Measles Outbreak

[trendynewsnow]

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Global Health Policy Influence and Vaccine Skepticism

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and His Global Health Policy Impact Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is poised to take the reins at the Department of Health and Human Services in a potential future Trump administration, is widely recognized for his promotion of conspiracy theories and skepticism towards vaccines within the United States. However, his influence extends far beyond American borders. Mr. Kennedy, an…

[grrlscientist]

The same man who was tied to a deadly measles outbreak in Samoa is slated to become the head of the US Department of Health and Human Services

[ricisidro]

🚨 #Measles Outbreak 2024

The #CDC is warning everyone of an increase in 🦠 measles outbreaks in #US, #Austria, the #Philippines and #UK, encouraging everyone to get the vaccine. 💉

-https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2024/han00504.asp

#WHO Measles Weekly Update Feb 21, 2024

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles

[ohello0]

Incredible times we live in,,,,,,,

[faircatch]

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[odinsblog]

“Pro-life” my ass.

Measles is nothing to play around with. It’s highly contagious and the effects are devastating — it’s especially dangerous to the very young, the old, the sick + immunocompromised, and those who are pregnant. But the same kind of mean, selfish, idiotic antivaxxers who don’t even want their dogs vaccinated against rabies are running the show in Florida. Hopefully someone will find a way to sue DeSantis and Ladapo for personal damages, because high dollar lawsuits are the only thing these Republican death cultists seem to understand.

[feminist-space]

"We are fundraising to purchase 288,000 3M 9501+ KN95 masks from government surplus!

Our goal is $9,000 to win the auction and pay for transportation of the masks from VA to mask blocs across the country.

These include mask blocs in DC, Northern Southern and Central Virginia, New Orleans, St. Louis, and Champaign Urbana, New York City, Kansas City, Tulsa, Knoxville, Long Island and more.

Currently, a pallet of 12,000 KN95 masks is 200 dollars each. We are aiming to buy as many pallets as possible and deliver them to whoever wants them! If you want to support but can't contribute, consider sharing this to your socials.

#MaskBloc #MaskDistribution ⁠fundraising #COVIDIsntOver #MutualAid"

"We’ve made contact with the seller, and they’ve agreed to sell them directly at $200/palette!

By buying directly instead of through the auction, we will definitely be getting these masks. The only question is how many.

The more money we raise, the more palettes we can buy, and the more transportation we can pay for to get these masks to communities across the country!

ALMOST HALFWAY THERE!!! LETS GOOO!!!! Thank you all for your support, sharing and contributions. Speaking on behalf of all of the organizers, we are so stoked that this campaign is going well and about how many masks we are going to be able to get. Thank you!!!

Alt text: Flyer with periwinkle and orange color scheme. Text at the top says “Mask Fundraiser. Joint mask bloc effort (14+ blocs). Bulk discount on high-quality KN95s at surplus sale. Every dollar makes a dent. Asterisks. $4=240 masks. $200=12,000 masks. Goal: 280,000 masks.”

Underneath is an image of a large metal shipping container with 10 big visible cardboard boxes. Next to that is an illustration of a hand holding a white respirator with ear-loop straps that shows the text “kn95 gb2626-2019.”

Text at the bottom of the flyer says “donate: tinyurl.com/bulk-kn95s. Going to mask blocs in: DC, Northern/Southern/Central Virginia, New Orleans, St. Louis, Champaign Urbana, Chicago, New York City, Kansas City, Tulsa, Knoxville, Long Island, Cincinnati, San Jose & more. To be distributed for free to all of our communities.” Asterisks mentioned at top of flyer are resolved here, with an asterisk next to text that says “Portion of money also going toward transport and associated costs.""

[tomorrowusa]

Anti-vax fanatic RFK Jr. took his war against vaccines to Samoa (population: 208,853) in 2019. Several months later, scores of people were dead and 1,867 people were hospitalized with measles.

The previous year two babies in Samoa had died from an improperly formulated mix of the MMR vaccine. Anti-vax maniacs like RFK Jr. seized on this accident to claim that MMR vaccines were deadly. Vaccination rates in Samoa plummeted and that set the stage for the deadly outbreak.

The roots of the tragedy stretch back to July 2018 and the deaths of two babies due to a medical error in the administration of an MMR vaccine, after the vaccine powder was mixed with expired muscle relaxant anaesthetic instead of water. The government shut down the vaccination programme for 10 months to investigate – allowing thousands of babies to go unvaccinated, against World Health Organization advice, and creating space for rumours to take hold. During the same period, Kennedy, who denies being anti-vaccine, had been hosted in Samoa. He visited four months before the measles outbreak was declared, in October 2019, meeting with government officials and anti-vaccine influencers in what health advocates and Ekeroma claim was a “significant disinformation campaign” stoking distrust in vaccines. Kennedy and his wife, Cheryl Hines, were special guests at Samoa’s 57th independence celebrations in June 2019, as part of a trip that came about after the anti-vaccination non-profit group Kennedy founded, Children’s Health Defense, connected with vocal Samoan vaccine critic and traditional healer Edwin Tamasese.

Because of anti-vax influencers, the MMR vaccination rate was way below that of other countries in the region.

Kennedy and his Children’s Health Defense group walked into this vacuum of mistrust – of western medicine, of the government – said Helen Petousis-Harris, a New Zealand-based vaccinologist and co-director of the Global Vaccine Data Network. When the government did restart its vaccination programme, people were reluctant: when the epidemic was declared on 16 October, the rate had dropped to 31%, down from 84% four years previously, according to WHO data. “The Samoan establishment handled the whole situation really badly and did not take the support and advice that was provided to them at the time, which is what allowed this to unravel and let RFK get in there,” Petousis-Harris said. “When you get people who are wealthy and influential going into a fragile setting, it’s like the top of the food chain visiting and meeting up with those who act as the megaphone. The impact was devastating.” The resurgence of disease when vaccine rates go down is predictable, she said. Kennedy has spread false claims that the MMR vaccines cause autism. According to the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, he is one of the world’s top disinformation super-spreaders. Public health officials in Samoa said anti-vaccination activists had been empowered by Kennedy, which had affected vaccine uptake.

Samoa has since re-instituted compulsory MMR vaccinations for babies. But the resumption came too late for those who were affected by the 2019 outbreak.

MMR vaccination in Samoa is now compulsory for babies over nine months. But in another small village outside Apia, where mother-of-eight Siiae Olilefauaitu sits on the grave of her one-year-old baby, Moana, in the encroaching dark, none of this is of any comfort. Her family lives at the end of this muddy track without power. They use a gas cooker and go to bed at nightfall. They could move in with family elsewhere but Olilefauaitu doesn’t want to leave Moana, who is buried outside the front door. “She is the first thing we see every day,” Olilefauaitu says. “She was a character, she was crawling, she smiled a lot. I can never forget her.”

RFK Jr. is now being entrusted to oversee epidemics in the United States by Donald Trump.

[trendynewsnow]

The Measles Outbreak in Samoa: The Impact of Misinformation and Vaccine Skepticism

The Measles Outbreak in Samoa: A Tragic Intersection of Misinformation and Health In November 2019, Samoa found itself grappling with a devastating measles epidemic that claimed the lives of numerous children and infants. During this critical time, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has recently emerged as Donald Trump’s choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services, sent a four-page letter…

[tariah23]

Every time a new health crisis is brought to attention, you always have mfs talking about “natural selection,” as if the children effected asked to be sick. It’s not their faults that their parents were too stupid and caught up in conspiracies to get them vaccinated.

[thoughtportal]

A 4-year-old from Detroit has a confirmed case of the measles, and potentially exposed others while seeking treatment for the highly infectious virus at DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan, an urgent care center and a pharmacy in the city, the Detroit Health Department announced Wednesday.

It is Michigan's fifth documented measles case this year.

The child was unvaccinated, said Dr. Claudia Richardson, the city health department's medical director, and had no history of international travel. Measles is so contagious, 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to the virus will become infected.

City health officials said they are working with the state health department to investigate where the child might have been exposed to the virus. So far, however, the case appears to be isolated, Richardson said.

"This is definitely an ongoing investigation," she said, "so we're in the middle of that. At this time, we do not have a source of the infection."

The child was not hospitalized, Richardson said, but was treated in the emergency department at Children's Hospital and is now following isolation protocol.

Anyone who was at the following places at these times and dates may have been exposed to the virus:

From noon to 3 p.m. April 1 at Acadian Urgent Care, 2117 Springwells, Detroit.

From 1:45-4 p.m. April 1 at the Rite Health Pharmacy, 5851 W. Vernor, Detroit.

From 5-10 a.m. April 3 in the emergency department at DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan, 3901 Beaubien Blvd., Detroit.

Children’s Hospital of Michigan did not respond to questions from the Free Press about how many people may have been exposed to the measles in the emergency department on April 3 or about how the hospital is notifying them.

Health leaders urge anyone who might have been exposed to the virus April 1-3 to monitor themselves for symptoms for 21 days. If symptoms develop, call ahead before visiting a doctor, urgent care center or hospital emergency room so precautions may be taken to avoid exposing others.

"We're ... doing our routine communicable disease investigation, which requires us to reach out to anyone that may have had direct contact. So far, all we know are family members," Richardson said, adding: "We are trying to get the word out the best we can."

What are the symptoms of measles?

Measles symptoms typically begin seven to 14 days after exposure, but can first appear as long as 21 days after exposure and can include:

High fever that could reach 104 degrees or higher.

Cough.

Runny nose.

Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis).

Tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth called Koplik Spots, which usually appear two to three days after symptoms begin.

A rash that starts on the face and spreads to the trunk, arms and legs, typically three to five days after symptoms begin. The rash is red, raised and blotchy.

"Infected people can spread measles before noticing any symptoms, including four days before and four days after the rash appears," Denise Fair Razo, chief public health officer for the Detroit health department, said in a statement. "Our best advice is to get vaccinated against measles if you have not already done so. It is part of the two-dose measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) series of childhood vaccines."

2 doses of MMR vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles

Measles infections are preventable with widespread vaccination. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR), offer 97% protection from infection. A single dose is about 93% effective.

However, in Michigan, immunization rates have fallen to 66% among Michigan toddlers — the lowest point in more than a decade for recommended childhood immunizations, according to MDHHS.

More:Measles cases send Michigan health authorities scrambling to avoid bigger outbreak

What is the recommendation for measles vaccinations?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends:

A first dose of the MMR vaccine for children ages 12-15 months old, with a booster dose administered between ages 4 and 6.

Anyone born in or after 1957 without evidence of immunity against measles or documentation of having been vaccinated with two doses of MMR vaccine should get vaccinated.

Two doses are recommended for adults at high risk, such as international travelers, college students and health care personnel born during or after 1957.

People exposed to measles who cannot document immunity against the virus should get post-exposure prophylaxis — a dose of the vaccine to potentially provide protection within 72 hours of initial exposure, or immunoglobulin within six days of exposure.

How serious is a measles infection?

Measles can cause serious illness, long-term disability and death in people of all ages.

About 1 in 5 people who get the measles end up hospitalized, according to the CDC, and 1 in 20 kids with measles develops pneumonia. Roughly 1 out of every 1,000 children who have measles infections will also have encephalitis. Brain swelling from encephalitis can lead to convulsions, permanent hearing loss, intellectual disability and death.

Anywhere from 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children with measles dies from respiratory or neurologic complications from the virus.

"We've had the vaccine since 1963, and before the vaccine was available, every year across the U.S., between 400 and 500 people died," Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan's chief medical officer, told the Free Press for a previous article. "Four hundred to 500 people may not seem like ... huge numbers, but it is a lot, especially if you're talking about your loved one or your child."

Notification too late for post-exposure treatment

The Detroit child's measles case was confirmed Tuesday, Richardson said, but public notification was not made until Wednesday afternoon, when anyone who was potentially exposed to the virus would be outside the window for treatment with post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent infection.

A dose of the MMR vaccine can be administered 72 hours of initial measles exposure and immunoglobulin can be given intravenously within six days of exposure to potentially prevent illness, according to the CDC.

By Wednesday afternoon, that window had closed.

"We are out of both of those windows and ... we were going through the dates very rigorously," Richardson said.

What can be done now, she said, is to educate the public about the potential exposures, what to do if they develop symptoms, and to urge vaccination.

"That's where we're focusing," Richardson said. "When situations like this arise, it brings preventable diseases such as measles to the forefront. ... It's the perfect opportunity for us to stress the importance of vaccination."

More:State's top doctor: Measles outbreak likely in Michigan because of low vaccination rates

The Detroit Health Department offers vaccinations for measles and all childhood vaccination series, plus COVID-19, flu and Mpox at its Immunizations Clinic at 100 Mack Ave. Hours are: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays by appointment. Walk-ins are welcome from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Late hours are available on the first and third Thursdays of each month, when the clinic is open 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

To learn more or to schedule, go to: www.detroitmi.gov/health or call 313-876-4667.

Michigan is not at outbreak status

This is the fifth known measles case in Michigan in 2024.

Two cases were identified in March in Washtenaw County. The second person is believed to have been exposed to the virus at Trinity Health Ann Arbor's waiting and triage area, where another Washtenaw County resident contagious with measles had gone for care.

An adult from Wayne County who had traveled internationally and had no record of measles immunization had the virus in February.

An Oakland County child who was unvaccinated and had traveled internationally was the first known case of measles in Michigan this year, state health officials announced Feb. 23.

Although Michigan health leaders have reported five measles cases since February, the situation doesn't yet rise to the level of an outbreak, according to the definition set by the CDC, which identifies an outbreak as a chain of transmission including three or more cases linked in time and space.

As of April 4, there have been 113 cases of measles in the U.S. this year, according to the CDC, and 58% of the people infected with the virus nationally in 2024 have been hospitalized for isolation or for management of measles complications.

Among those 113 cases, the CDC has recognized seven measles outbreaks, which include 73% of cases identified in 2024.

Comparatively, there were 58 total U.S. measles cases in 2023 and four outbreaks.

[geezerwench]

[ohello0]

You get it

It’s exhausting seeing everyone around me get sick all the time, hearing my family cough through the night. Noticing signs of fatigue but watching them push themselves to collapse anyway

People keep saying kids are behind in school and blaming everything that goes wrong on bad parenting and/or incompetent teachers. There’s certain groups that have always done this while ignoring or sometimes contributing to factors like hunger, poverty, etc. but right now it feels especially cruel. We’ve documented brain fog and other cognitive issues in adults during and post covid infection….and nobody seems to think any of that applies to the developing brains of children and infants???

‪All I know is spring break is about to be disastrous. Maybe it won’t take as long but Florida being a hotbed for infectious illness as well as a prime tourism spot both nationally and internationally,,,,,,it’s so beyond over

At this point I don’t know what to do

Really struggling with knowing there’s a few viruses going around that are airborne and also spread through poor sanitation but we’re a few years into a global pandemic that due to protecting a tanking economy and backwards status quo, public health and safety is kind of a joke at all levels of life so HCWs don’t mask in hospitals and schools don’t put soap in bathrooms

Is anyone else thinking about this…is anyone else concerned about covid and measles and norovirus and diarrhea planes and schools closing because all the students and teachers are sick. Is anyone scared of getting sick and dying anymore???

[oidheadh-con-culainn]

oh good i love getting emails telling me there's a measles outbreak and that they're doing special pop-up MMR vaccination stations bc of it

[iwatcheditbegin]

It’s frightening how many people are once again coming out at anti vax. And bc of a man who literally caused a measles outbreak