TThe culture of public health and medicine is based on open discussion where different perspectives are considered to improve patient care and health.This process depends on psychological safety Therefore, individuals can freely and safely speak out and openly disagree. Collectively, these factors just a cultureThe system and organization have been improved and it has been widely introduced in medical settings across the country.
However, in the face of a politicized situation, anti-science and anti-experts Considering emotions and aggression, we need to ask whether culture is the only constraint in public health. Following a series of legislative policy changes in Florida, academic institutionIn the medical and public health fields, there has been a setback in open dialogue among medical and public health professionals regarding infectious disease control practices related to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and now measles.
On January 3, 2024, in flagrant opposition to the CDC, FDA, and medical and public health experts, the State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo Recommended for all to avoid Novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) mRNA vaccine Regarding concerns about DNA content.This concept suggests that these vaccines don't change people's genesEven if it contains trace amounts of DNA related to vaccine production. This announcement followed an earlier announcement on September 13, 2023, which recommended that individuals under the age of 65: Have not received the latest coronavirus vaccinenevertheless 25% of deaths due to COVID-19 Previously, he recommended: young adult male Avoid vaccines due to concerns about myocarditis.However, this Myocarditis risk is very rareand Risk of myocarditis after COVID-19 infection This is much more than after vaccination.
Following these announcements, wide Nationwide criticism These Florida-only policies. In response, Florida's response was Medical and public health community Do you support these controversial recommendations? Opposition, was modest. This lukewarm response is in contrast to the first few years of the pandemic, when Florida's medical institutions, medical schools, and public health experts frequently responded. I made a public comment About the state's new coronavirus infection mitigation measures and vaccination policy.
the current, measles outbreak at an elementary school in South Florida. Dr. Ladapo, who is not the county's health officer, said children at high risk of contracting measles can attend school despite the possibility of infection. leave the decision to the parents. Although we are in the early stages of this epidemic, similar situations are being observed and significant transmission is occurring. Nationwide His recommendations have been met with outcry, but the response from Florida's medical community has been limited to There are few practitioners.
measles It is a highly contagious virus that can travel long distances and remain in the air for hours, making it five to 10 times more contagious than COVID-19. If an unvaccinated person becomes infected, with very high probability The person can become infected with the virus, which can cause encephalitis, pneumonia, and hearing loss.
Reflecting anti-vaccine and anti-science activities that have become part of the political agenda, Measles vaccination rate among young children fell below critical This level has been reached in many parts of the United States.Not surprisingly, these days Measles cases in the United States. of medical world overwhelmingly supports childhood vaccination, drowned out by policy Misinformation that undermines the need for vaccination or undermines confidence in vaccines.
Measles outbreaks can occur due to controlled This is done through early post-exposure vaccination measures and isolation of unvaccinated exposed individuals for 21 days over the incubation period. This recommendation is based on the fact that people with measles may be contagious for several days before symptoms appear. Although more than 90% of the population in some regions of the United States may have received measles vaccination, many unvaccinated and medically infected individuals remain independent of local vaccination rates. , are at high risk if exposed to measles.
Three weeks is a long time for a child to be absent from school. But as we move through the pandemic, we now have tools widely available to facilitate distance learning. carried out by the school. If parents are worried about being able to control the spread of infection, it makes sense to keep their children out of school.It was reported that almost 20% of students The school, which had previously reported high vaccination rates, was missing bodies several days after the outbreak. Rather than allowing children who may have measles to attend school, was it considered that emphasizing that standard measles control policies were followed might increase attendance? ?
We need to ask what has happened over the past year to stop the dissemination of views that are contrary to national policy. Is there self-censorship or external censorship? Has there been opposition from within the Florida Department of Health to these recent recommendations by Dr. Ladapo? This may lie in reviewing recent legislation or state actions that may be hesitating to raise funds.
First, a law was passed. Teacher's term of office is canceled At state universities, that means faculty in stable positions could be fired. Faculty members at the University of Florida said: this policy restricts freedom The number of experts speaking openly about fear of retaliation.
Secondly, medical freedom A bill signed into law in Florida on May 11, 2023 allows doctors to publicly make unsubstantiated and false claims without consequences. Healthcare has regulated itself to protect the safety of the public. Without these guardrails and proper checks from hospital credentialing boards and medical societies, inaccurate information can increase. Will this new law prevent doctors from contesting false and potentially harmful medical information?
Third, the state regulates hospital funding and medicaid Patient care reimbursement rates. Therefore, administrators at universities, medical schools, and hospitals may be concerned about faculty members making public statements or clashing with political leaders.
Fourth, state command What can and cannot be taught in K-12 schools public university, something that has never been seen before at a university. Recently, the Florida Board of Governors forbidden sociology From the core curriculum of the university system. Considering that, most popular majors For example, at the University of Florida, where students study psychology and biology, which are the foundations of sociology, we need to ask whether national policies are in the best interest of students.
Fifth, healthcare providers currently culture war. Medical institutions are also being investigated for health-related issues. state and Nationwide level.
We now look at what happens when policies threaten the ability of medical professionals, academic experts, medical societies, and public health workers to speak up. Public debate about important public health state policies fades.
Florida once held that position among states. Highest COVID-19 vaccination rate For people aged 65 and older in the United States, Lowest death rate due to new coronavirus infection Per capita, ranking 29th In contrast, Florida currently has either: Additional vaccination rate for new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is lowest with the US rank 8th Number of deaths due to new coronavirus infection per capita. Florida is currently experiencing a severe measles outbreak, and standard precautions are not being taken to allow potentially infected children to return to school.
under consideration high vaccination rate This outbreak will be contained if 97% of the people infected at the outbreak site become infected. But what happens if measles enters a school or community where vaccination rates are low and standard public health measures must be followed?
Do we really want to limit discussion of infectious disease control policies? We have learned the clear benefits of a culture that considers diverse perspectives in medicine and public health.
