"We're not just seeing cases, we're seeing transmission, which means vaccine levels aren't what we'd like them to be"
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images / Alamy)
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
published
inTalking Point
Florida has a measles problem. Critics say the state's chief health officer might be making things worse.
As of Tuesday morning there are eight diagnosed cases of the virus in the Sunshine State, USA Today said. That may not sound like a lot, but the virus is "highly contagious." Experts usually prescribe "isolation and vaccination" to curb the measles' spread — and particularly urge unvaccinated children to stay at home from school for 21 days if they have been exposed. Not Joseph Ladapo, the state's surgeon general: Last week he told families that Florida is "deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance."
That's alarming to public health officials around the country, NBC News said. The measles virus is "like a heat-seeking missile," said one expert. Unvaccinated people have a 90% chance of getting sick if exposed to the virus, after all. But The New York Times said Ladapo, hired by Gov. Ron DeSantis during the Covid-19 lockdowns, is known for spreading "dangerous falsehoods" about vaccines. "Basically, it's freedom trumps public health, freedom trumps protection," said Dr. Paul Offit of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This means Florida is conducting a dangerous experiment, Daniel Engber said at The Atlantic. "No one will be forced to not get sick." For the moment, at least, Ladapo "has chosen to lower the guardrails" against the spread of a dangerous and sometimes deadly disease. "So what happens now?"
'Go-to doctor for vaccine deniers'
During the pandemic, Ladapo became the "go-to, Ivy League-educated doctor for vaccine deniers," The Miami Herald said in an editorial. The surgeon general should have told families to "get your children vaccinated — now!" Instead, he's telling parents it's OK to send kids to school "sans immunization." DeSantis and Ladapo ensured that vaccine skepticism "gained force" during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that skepticism will give new force to diseases "we thought belonged in a bygone era."
"Invented in 1963, the measles vaccine is considered one of the greatest public health triumphs of the last century," Kiera Butler said at Mother Jones. The triumph is now threatened. The Centers for Disease Control says that 95% of a population must be immune — either from vaccination or prior infection — to effectively curb the spread of measles. But in Broward County, Florida, just 91.7% of kindergartners are fully vaccinated, part of a trend of falling vaccination rates nationwide. This means we may see more outbreaks of "vaccine-preventable disease."
Ladapo's advice to families is "pathetic," The Palm Beach Post said in its own editorial. The Florida Department of Health "must stop its anti-vax pandering" and take the measles outbreak seriously. Until then, the "likelihood" is that the number of measles cases will grow "as the virus spreads." It's not sufficient to defer to parental decisions when the virus makes a "Petri dish" of schools. "Parental rights is one thing; responding to a dangerous public health crisis is a different matter entirely."
Vaccine rates are falling
Florida isn't the only place where measles cases are on the rise. The virus is spreading "globally," PBS NewsHour said, "in spite of the widespread availability" of vaccines. "We're not just seeing cases, we're seeing transmission, which means vaccine levels aren't what we'd like them to be," said the University of Maryland's Saskia Popescu. The problem may only grow in the United States. While all states require vaccines for school children, "some have adopted or expanded exemptions" for families that have religious or philosophical objections.
Despite Ladapo's advice, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials told Axios that Florida families probably want to isolate their unvaccinated children if they're exposed to measles. That might be disruptive for families, the group's chief medical officer said in a statement, but "imagine how much more disruptive it would be if measles takes hold again in the United States, spreading widely, and impacting children and communities across the entire nation."
Explore More
FloridaMeaslesHealth NewsHealth And ScienceRon DesantisTalking PointPublic Health
To continue reading this article...
Create a free account
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
register for free
Already have an account? Sign in
Subscribe to The Week
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Subscribe & Save
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Unlimited website access is included with Digital and Print + Digital subscriptions.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis, The Week US
Joel Mathis is a freelance writer who has spent nine years as a syndicated columnist, co-writing the RedBlueAmerica column as the liberal half of a point-counterpoint duo. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic, The Kansas City Star and Heatmap News. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
Why Project 2025 is creating headaches for the Trump campaignTalking PointsDemocrats want to make Trump 'own' the controversial planBy Joel Mathis, The Week USPublished 12 July 24 'National service could become a pervasive post-graduation option'Instant OpinionOpinion, comment and editorials of the dayBy Justin Klawans, The Week USPublished 12 July 24 Will the housing slump ever end?Today's Big QuestionProbably not until mortgage rates come downBy Joel Mathis, The Week USPublished 12 July 24
The US is at risk for dengue feverThe explainerThe buzz surrounding the mosquito-borne illnessBy Devika Rao, The Week USPublished 3 July 24 Surgeon general calls gun violence a health crisisSpeed ReadU.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a first-of-its-kind advisoryBy Peter Weber, The Week USPublished 26 June 24 Infant deaths jumped in Texas after abortion banSpeed ReadBabies born in states with more abortion restrictions may be likelier to die within a yearBy Peter Weber, The Week USPublished 25 June 24 India's toxic alcohol problemUnder the RadarBootleggers add lethal methanol to illegal liquor to cheaply increase potency, leading to widespread casualtiesBy Harriet Marsden, The Week UKPublished 24 June 24 Should masks be here to stay?Talking PointsNew York Governor Kathy Hochul proposed a mask ban. Here's why she wants one — and why it may not make sense.By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week USPublished 24 June 24 Gene variant shows promise slowing Alzheimer'sSpeed ReadA rare genetic trait called Christchurch could delay the onset of diseaseBy Peter Weber, The Week USPublished 20 June 24 Covid might be to blame for an uptick in rare cancersThe explainerThe virus may be making us more susceptible to certain cancersBy Devika Rao, The Week USPublished 20 June 24 Engineered stone is bad for the lungsUnder the RadarQuartz comes at a costBy Devika Rao, The Week USPublished 17 June 24