Measles in Samoa: Why are So Many Dying?
A total of 72 people have died in Samoa during the current outbreak of measles there that began in mid-October. Most of the deaths have involved children under five years of age. U.S. and global media outlets have been following this story closely, providing regular updates on the number of people in Samoa who have […]
Ugandan Boy Dies of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome After Getting Measles-Rubella, Polio Vaccines
Uganda Radio Network (URN) reported on Nov. 16, 2019 that the Ministry of Health of Uganda is investigating the sudden death of a boy who died on Nov. 14, 2019 after receiving the measles-rubella and polio vaccines at a community vaccination center in the town of Kalagi, Uganda. Ugandan health officials stated that preliminary findings did not related the death to the vaccinations […]
Vitamin A Shipped to Samoa
Health officials in Samoa, assisted by international health organizations, have struggled to manage a surge in measles and apparent deaths from measles on the impoverished island since the first laboratory confirmed cases were reported in September 2019. A state of emergency was declared on November 15, and by December 11, 4995 measles cases had been recorded, […]
Polio Eradication Stalls with More Wild-Type and Vaccine Strain Polio Outbreaks
After 65 years of global polio mass vaccination campaigns, on Oct. 24, 2019 (“World Polio Day”) the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that, along with wild type 2 poliovirus declared eradicated in 2015, wild type 3 poliovirus has been eradicated from the earth.1 The credit for the achievement was given to the Global Polio Eradication […]
Samoa’s Measles Outbreak and Response
(updated to reflect new outbreak figures released by AFP on Nov. 25, 2019)—A total of 2,194 cases of measles have been reported in Samoa this year. The government has declared a state of emergency and closed all schools, including the nation’s only university. Samoan health authorities are developing plans to implement compulsory MMR (mumps, measles, […]
Government Should Get Out of Exam Rooms When Ordering Vaccines
Opinion | The nation has averted a so-called “public health crisis,” but that hasn’t stopped lawmakers from playing doctor. Propelled by the measles crisis, states are enacting laws limiting the personal and religious exemptions parents can claim from vaccine mandates. California has gone one step further, empowering a bureaucracy to review all medical exemptions to vaccine mandates, placing […]