Surgeon General defies medical guidance during measles outbreak in Florida

A measles cluster at an elementary school in south Florida has prompted the state's Surgeon General to send a letter to parents that contradicts widespread medical guidance on how to prevent the spread of the disease.

Doctors and health officials generally recommend that children who have not been vaccinated against measles quarantine for 21 days after being exposed to measles at school. State Army Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said in his letter that it is up to parents and guardians to decide when their children can attend school, even if they have not been vaccinated against the disease. He said that.

“Due to the high potential for infection, it is generally recommended that children remain at home until the infectious period ends,” the letter said. However, in a letter to parents at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, Florida, the state Department of Health continues, “We leave school attendance decisions up to parents.”

Dr. Ladapo added that these recommendations may change in the future and stressed that children with measles symptoms should not go to school. As of Friday, There were 6 confirmed cases at the school, according to Broward County Public Schools.

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world.There are both infected people and deaths. rise all over the worldThis is in part because health officials are struggling to vaccinate people amid the coronavirus pandemic and rising infections. vaccine avoidance. In January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned doctors:Be careful of measlesThat's because more cases have occurred in the United States, primarily among unvaccinated children and adolescents.

Dr. Ladapo, a former clinical researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, has played a key role in the administration of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and has been involved in events that mainstream public health experts have repeatedly criticized as widespread. I attended with the governor. Dangerous falsehood.

Since being appointed by DeSantis in 2021, Dr. Ladapo has echoed anti-vaccine claims against the coronavirus vaccine and made misleading claims about its risks. At one point, the Food and Drug Administration responded to his claims, saying such misinformation “puts people at risk of death or serious illness.”

Doctors expressed alarm at Dr. Ladapo's comments regarding measles. “He said you don't have to quarantine, you can go out and infect as many people as you want,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health said the department had no further comment and referred to the letter.

January, Dr. Ladapo asked for the suspension of COVID vaccine. “Basically, it's freedom over public health, freedom over protection,” Dr. Offit said, calling the letter “ridiculous” and “unbelievable.”

Dr. Nandita Mani, an infectious disease physician at the University of Washington Medical Center, called the letter “very concerning.” If an unvaccinated person were exposed to measles, she said, she would almost certainly get infected. “That’s how contagious it is.”

How does measles spread?

measles It tends to improve circulation, especially At the end of winter and beginning of spring. Dr. Mani said the virus spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It can remain in the air and on surfaces. “You don't need to cough or touch someone who has measles,” says Dr. Gary Leshak, a pediatrician at Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital.

“If someone is in a room with measles, they leave the room, and if they enter the room an hour later, they're more susceptible. There's a 90 percent chance they'll get measles,” he said. says.

of Recommended by CDC Children should begin receiving measles vaccinations at 12 to 15 months of age. People who are fully vaccinated against measles are approximately 97% protected from infection.

But when measles spreads in a community, “you're going to quickly find people who aren't vaccinated,” says Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and senior research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

For most children, measles infection is fairly mild, and symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and rash, he said.

However, the disease can be serious, especially in people who have the following symptoms: weakened immune system, pregnant women and children under 5 years old. According to the CDC, about 1 in 5 unvaccinated people in the U.S. who get measles end up in the hospital, but people can develop pneumonia, which is the most common disease caused by measles in young children. It is a cause of death. Their brains also enlarge, which can cause hearing loss and intellectual disability, authorities reported.

Health officials typically recommend that unvaccinated school children quarantine for 21 days before showing symptoms.

“You all want to keep schools open, but the least we can say is if you haven't been vaccinated for any reason, please stay home until this is over,” Dr. Adalja said. said.

Patricia Mazzei Contributed to the report.