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Measles back with a vengeance—Vaccine requests spike

Measles back with a vengeance—Vaccine requests spike

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, five measles outbreaks have been reported in the United States. Three are in New York state (Rockland County, Monroe County, and New York City), one in Washington, and one in Texas.

These outbreaks are leading to increased requests for measles vaccines, even among populations that are known to be anti-vaccine. Orders for two types of measles vaccines in Washington’s Clark County increased more than 500% in January, compared with the same month in 2018. According to the New York Times, Clark County has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Washington.

Measles cases also are increasing in Europe and elsewhere around the world. According to the CDC, many of the current U.S. outbreaks can be attributed travelers bringing measles back from other countries, such as Israel and Ukraine. The CDC recommends getting vaccinated against measles before traveling outside of the United States.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or recommendations of the American Nurses Association, the Editorial Advisory Board members, or the Publisher, Editors and staff of American Nurse Journal. This has not been peer reviewed.

3 Comments.

  • While I appreciate the value of immunizations, I disagree that they should be mandated. People have a right to make their own decisions regarding their health and the health of their children. As healthcare providers, we have a responsibility to discuss risks and benefits of them (and I would even argue encourage vaccinations), but the decision to have them or not is for the patient or their caregivers to decide.

  • Agree with reply!

  • It is sad that it has taken outbreaks of measles to increase the demand for the vaccine. Unless thee is a medical reason, vaccines should be mandatory. If not for the health of a child, but for everyone surrounding them. It becomes a very selfish act with lots of rationales given for refusal.

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