Opinion: Measles isn’t the problem. People are.
By Editorial Board April 7 at 6:39 PM SET ASIDE for a moment the public-health danger posed by the return of measles, and focus on people, because that is where the problem lies. Declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, measles is having outbreaks in six locations; this year already marks the second-highest case count in two decades. That’s because some people made a decision not to get vaccinated or not to vaccinate their children.
Preventing the spread of measles requires about 95 percent of a population to be properly vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, usually starting with the first dose at 12 months through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years old. The vaccine has proved safe and highly effective. But when pools of people neglect to get immunized or fail to stay up to date, they become vulnerable.
The outbreak in Rockland County was first met with an executive order barring unvaccinated children from schools, then when the outbreak progressed, it was followed by a state of emergency that bars children and teenagers who are not vaccinated from public places. This measure, which has been temporarily blocked by a local judge, is drastic but arguably necessary. As of last Wednesday, there were 161 confirmed cases, and 83.2 percent of them were unvaccinated individuals.
In many cases, measles outbreaks are traced to travelers from elsewhere in the world where the disease is still endemic. In 2018, three outbreaks in New York state, New York City and New Jersey happened largely in unvaccinated Orthodox Jewish communities, triggered at first by travelers who brought measles back from Israel, where a large outbreak has been underway.
This phenomenon, which the World Health Organization has called “vaccine hesitancy” and listed as one of the 10 major threats to global public health, thrives on suspicion, distrust of government and misinformation. The best antidote is to broadcast far and wide the wisdom of vaccination, to protect not only oneself — but also everyone else.Elizabeth Bruenig: I understand the vaccine doubts. Here’s why my children will get them anyway.Michael Gerson: Public health shouldn’t be invasive.
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