Florida Risks Making a Dangerous Measles Outbreak Much Worse
By ignoring common sense and medical advice, Florida’s health officials risk accelerating a burgeoning measles outbreak
Illustration of measles virus.
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An outbreak of measles in Florida has grown to 10 cases. Most have been linked to an elementary school with nearly three dozen unvaccinated students. The count includes seven cases tied to the school, two in the same county, and one travel-related case in another county. The situation is likely to get worse. Florida allows nonmedical vaccine exemptions, which have been slowly increasing in the state since 2021.
This is happening in a state with a growing skepticism of vaccinations and an ongoing debate between individualism and the good of the larger population that came to a head during the COVID pandemic. But containing measles, which can spread quickly, should not be up for debate. Yet this is what is happening in Florida, and it’s putting children’s health at risk.
In response to the outbreak, the Florida Department of Health has issued a letter with a surprising new recommendation that contradicts the standards of health practice for measles outbreaks in two big ways.
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First, in that letter, the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo—who has gone against established public health practice before—wrote that unvaccinated kids who may have been exposed to measles can continue to attend school. This is unprecedented and dangerous. Children without the prior immune exposure that vaccines provide need to be isolated for 21 days after exposure to avoid contracting and further spreading…
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