Indonesia: Measles, Chickenpox Kill Dozens of Children
Asmat tribe in Papua. Barely alive. Their bodies exhausted and weak from hunger and disease. Undernourished, they’re battling against outbreaks of measles and chickenpox. Military medical teams have arrived in some remote areas. Maria Epam and her husband Linus had to travel for five hours and their six-month-old daughter would not survive. Our daughter has […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
Baby Girl in Cuba Dies Two Days After Getting MMR Vaccine
A one-year-old girl died in Cuba on Oct. 9, 2019 two days after receiving an MMR (mumps, measles, rubella) vaccination. Paloma Domínguez Caballero was administered the vaccine at a clinic near Havana on Oct. 7. Within two hours, the toddler began to have symptoms of severe adverse reactions.1 2 According to Paloma’s mother, “First we […]