Measles Outbreak in Florida: Children Infected After State’s Health Official Defies Guidance
Latest Cases Reported in Broward County
Two Florida children have contracted measles after the state’s top health official defied federal guidance to contain an outbreak at an elementary school.
Outbreak at Manatee Bay Elementary School
Six children at Manatee Bay Elementary School, in Westin near Fort Lauderdale, caught the disease over a week ago. New state health data show two more cases in Broward County, of a child younger than 5 and another between ages 5 and 9.
Surgeon General’s Defiance
The newly reported infections bring the total to eight, just days after Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo contradicted federal and medical professional guidance to contain the spread of the highly contagious and preventable disease that’s resurging globally and in the U.S. Florida is one of 11 states that have seen cases this year.
Unclear Connection to School Outbreak
It’s unclear if Florida’s two new cases are connected to the school outbreak. Broward County Public Schools haven’t identified new cases since Tuesday, when there were six, district spokesperson John Sullivan said.
Concerns over Lax Attitude
In a letter Tuesday, Ladapo said Manatee Bay parents and guardians could decide whether to send their children back to school, a statement that conflicted with federal and medical professional recommendations that children from the school should remain at home to prevent the spread of measles. Health experts are concerned by his lax attitude.
Expert Views on Surgeon General’s Decision
“This is a state surgeon general saying that he is not going to enforce any of the tenets of public health in the name of freedom,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “He wants freedom at the expense of putting children in harm’s way.”
Risks and Preventions
Measles can come with serious risk. About 1 in 5 children who become ill end up in the hospital, and 1 in 1,000 can develop encephalitis, or brain swelling that can have neurological effects. Between one and three children in a thousand will die. A full-dose regimen of the vaccine is about 98% effective against measles.
Concerns About Vaccination Coverage
Less than 92% of Broward County kindergartners had been immunized as of 2022, below the U.S. goal of 95% coverage with the measles vaccine.
Outbreak Warning and Its Implications
In January, the CDC warned health providers they needed to do more to detect a potential measles spread in their communities amid a global rise in cases. But outbreaks could worsen if enough unvaccinated children are exposed to the virus and they spread measles into a community, according to experts.
