Florida defies CDC in measles outbreak, telling parents it's fine to send unvaccinated kids to school

[riversedge]

Source: cbs






Amy Maxmen February 23, 2024 / 5:00 AM EST

With a brief memo, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has subverted a public health standard that's long kept measles outbreaks under control.

On Feb. 20, as measles spread through Manatee Bay Elementary in South Florida, Ladapo sent parents a letter granting them permission to send unvaccinated children to school amid the outbreak.

The Department of Health "is deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance," wrote Ladapo, who was appointed to head the agency by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose name is listed above Ladapo's in the letterhead.

Ladapo's move contradicts advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This is not a parental rights issue," said Scott Rivkees, Florida's former surgeon general who is now a professor at Brown University. "It's about protecting fellow classmates, teachers, and members of the community against measles, which is a very serious and very transmissible illness.".......................

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-measles-outbreak-unvaccinated-kids-school/

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Somebody has to stop this insanity in Florida.

[KarenS]

1. Florida is a dangerous place to live,,,,

so says someone living in Arizona

[riversedge]

2. CDC: Measles vaccine The measles vaccine is very effective. Two doses of measles vaccine are about 97% effective at pre

https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/faqs.html
Measles vaccine

The measles vaccine is very effective. Two doses of measles vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles if exposed to the virus. One dose is about 93% effective.


...........

[hlthe2b]

3. Sadly, the first child that dies from measles encephalitis or pneumonia will stop this...

or who brings it home to a severely immunocompromised family member.

Those who contract and recover from measles may not realize the time bomb left within them, however, as the measles virus wipes out prior immunity, leaving its victims susceptible to any number of infections in the future.

[raging moderate]

10. My little brother almost died of measles, 71 years ago.

I was about five and a half. He was almost four years old. We had just moved away from my abusive father to a little slum apartment. It was awful. Luckily we had a wonderful family doctor, Dr. Julius Rhodes of Chicago. He somehow found us and treated my little brother and saved his life. There was no measles vaccine at that time. My older brother had almost died of polio the year before. Dr. Rhodes had also made a home visit at that time, and had quickly ordered an ambulance to take my older brother to the hospital where an iron lung machine saved his life. There was no polio vaccine at that time. My family LOVES doctors and nurses. We also love vaccines!

[Mysterian]

23. Republicans are willing to sacrifice those needless casualties

if they can own the libs.

[atreides1]

31. Sadly, I don't think it will...

The parents of the first child that dies will blame the school...but other parents will continue to send their children to school!

I've come to my own conclusion that these parents don't really care for their children, except as pieces of property that they own until the age of 18.

Just like those parents who love their guns more then making sure that their children don't have to take part in active shooter drills!

Or the parents of kids who won't have access to food over the summer, because the politicians they put in charge won't accept a program offered by the federal government, so that those children won't have to go without eating!

Those parents that started on the "parental rights" path, didn't have the well being of their children in mind...as much as they just saw it as a way to "own" the Libs.

[sybylla]

37. It didn't stop the stupidity around COVID and that anti-maskers, anti-vaxers.

So many children died and so many more have developed (and continue to develop) disabling long covid.

None of these people care, including school boards, state, local, or federal government. The same will be true for this. Some small measure of protection will be put in place in sane states, for a little while. Then everyone will be back to normal right quick.

[JustAnotherGen]

4. The Somebody

Is the people of Florida.

[llmart]

14. That was going to be my response.

Blame it on the gullible people in Florida who put this monster in office.

[JustAnotherGen]

28. All of their Politicians

And I also blame it on voter suppression. Good people - can't vote. It's by design.

When everyone CAN vote - Democratic Candidates win.

[Irish_Dem]

5. A pregnant teacher exposed to measles can cause serious impairments to the fetus.

[AllyCat]

12. If you are trying to make a "save-the-children"

Argument by pointing out this very real hazard, the GQP ain’t listening.

[Irish_Dem]

17. Yes. The GOP doesn't care how many Americans are killed, maimed or injured.

We are all just collateral damage in the quest for power and wealth.

[JustAnotherGen]

30. I wonder if they could

Leverage OSHA for a workplace hazard?

[Irish_Dem]

35. Good question. It is a danger to pregnant women.

[Rebl2]

33. They apparently

do not care if it kills other people or causes complications for pregnant women.

[BigmanPigman]

6. I read on DU that FL is having a shortage of teachers

How is this issue going to attract teachers in their state?
I am pretty sure that retired teachers won't be jumping at the opportunity to teach in unvaxxed classrooms.

"Florida Scrambles to Get Retired Teachers to Return to Combat Shortage"
https://www.newsweek.com/florida-drop-retired-teachers-shortage-bill-1870627

"Where have all the teachers gone? Florida needs more than 4,000"
https://news.wfsu.org/state-news/2024-01-19/where-have-all-the-teachers-gone-florida-needs-more-than-4-000

[JustAnotherGen]

29. One is in my district this year

Better pay, better benefits - that's why we have higher property taxes. We fully fund our schools, and that means stealing from states with poor working conditions.

[Girard442]

7. Y'know, these people may be on to something.

Not one of Jim Jones' flock contracted COVID.

[Fullduplexxx]

8. And when your child get sick sue the school and the parents of every sick child in that school

[Javaman]

9. dead, blind and deaf kids...

major issues with the fetus for pregnant women who get measles.

cognitive dissonance.

fuck around and find out.

morons.

[sakabatou]

11. Just what we need, a measles outbreak

[3825-87867]

13. Time for parents to take their infected kids on tours

of the Florida State Legislature while it's functioning to educate the kids how their government works. Shaking hands with Ron, his wife would be a plus for any kid!
Next, take them to all town hall and school board meetings.
Then take them out to nice eateries and shops and malls to mingle with all the visitors to the Sundown State.
A nice day at Disney to mix with all the tourists would be very considerate.
Don't forget to pack them into church, too.
Check out the private schools in advance with your kids to see if they qualify for admission.
Also, have them visit elder care homes and hospitals and nursing homes to help spread a little cheer.
Don't forget to take kids to visit "The Villages" to see the grandparents! Never know when Gramma and Gramps is going to take that last ride into the sunset.

Saracsm? Eh!

How Florida Surgeon General Joseph Lardass still has a medical license is beyond me.

[Joinfortmill]

15. The destruction of Florida is well under way. I lived there for a few years awhile back. Breaks my heart.

[CaptainTruth]

16. GOP is trying to destroy public education.

They have been for decades. This is part of that effort.

They want measles, Covid, mass shootings, persecution of children who are "different" etc etc etc to ravage our schools & turn them into places of disease, fear, & death. It's all part of their larger mission of destroying public education.

[riversedge]

24. My stomach turned as I read your post --because it is so true. It is slow destruction and

that is the sickening part of it. Also that kids -and teachers will suffer.

[lark]

18. Damn, I am so fucking glad my kids are grown.

I could not have sent them to public school here, it's just too damn horrible. My husband and I worked heavy hours and home schooling is not the best in that situation, plus both were very social and I dont think that would have been good for them emotionally. I guess we'd have just had to take them to the Unitarian school, though I don't know how we could have afforded it? Certainly would never send them to my folks' evangelical churchs' school, ddn't want them indoctrainated at a young age.

It's just sick what Voldemort, Death Sentence and tsf have done to my once livable and nice state.

[vankuria]

19. Measles can be devastating

And especially to pregnant women. I worked with the developmentally disabled and many case histories of those born before the the measles vaccine had moms who contracted the virus while pregnant. They were born with severe disabilities and we tend to forget and it’s never mentioned that an entire generation suffered and were institutionalized because of this virus.

[NoMoreRepugs]

20. I live in Florida. I am so sick and tired of every goddamn day finding

out about another BatShit crazy and destructive thing duhhhsantis has done.

[riversedge]

22. are protests really outlawed in Florida?? I only read they were.

[tanyev]

21. It's fine! Everything is fine.

[IronLionZion]

25. Making decisions for someone else to pay the consequences

GQP is all about sharing viruses with innocent people who didn't make idiotic choices. Immunocompromised people exist. Plenty of folks in Florida are elderly or have had organ transplants or cancer treatments.

Herd immunity is mass vaccination. Not infect as many people as you can and see who survives.

[Think. Again.]

26. Sounds like this surgeon general guy should be investigated for child endangerment.

[ancianita]

27. Will no one rid Florida of this extremist governor & his batshit government??

[limbicnuminousity]

32. At times I think they're trying to recreate the plagues of Egypt.

[republianmushroom]

34. Dumb and dumber

[LetMyPeopleVote]

36. Amid measles cases, Florida's Ladapo fails to urge vaccinations

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo's response to measles cases in an elementary school is facing criticisms. It's part of a familiar pattern. This asshole is going to kill people.

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/measles-cases-floridas-ladapo-fails-urge-vaccinations-rcna140017

As the NBC affiliate in Miami reported, that’s not quite what’s happening.

The Florida Department of Health released a letter Tuesday from Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo emphasizing how contagious measles is and how effective the MMR vaccine is in preventing the disease, but Ladapo did not urge parents to immunize their children.

The letter did note the protections that come with vaccinations, but it didn't take the obvious, affirmative step of actually pushing local families to do the responsible thing.

Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert at Florida International University, referencing Ladapo’s statement, told the local NBC outlet, “The letter doesn’t explicitly say we need to get more people vaccinated, and that is a key point that families need to know.”....

Making matters worse is the frequency with which “scientific nonsense” has become the norm in Florida’s surgeon general’s office. Revisiting our earlier coverage, Ladapo has rejected vaccination guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and faced accusations about misleading the public. He’s embarrassed professional colleagues with his antics and urged the public not to trust scientists, physicians, and other public health officials.

Despite the seriousness of the pandemic, Ladapo also questioned the efficacy of Covid vaccines, denounced vaccine requirements, referenced unsubstantiated conspiracy theories to argue against the vaccines, and encouraged Floridians to “stick with their intuition,” as opposed to following the guidance of those who actually know what they’re talking about.

We’re occasionally reminded, however, that his misjudgments are not limited to Covid.

[Ferrets are Cool]

38. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH LADAPO!!!!!

If I had a SCREAMING emoji, I would use it.

[Oopsie Daisy]

39. SPONSORED BY: "Juvenile Caskets, Inc."

[Hope22]

40. Maybe the FL borders need to be closed until the state gets this under control.

It isn’t just a Florida problem it is an international problem with Disney attractions and Canadians traveling to soak up the winter sunshine. I can’t imagine why sensible Floridians aren’t enraged by this.

[cab67]

41. Florida parents -

I'm sorry to say this, but your state of residence is no longer a safe place for your children.

If you can, you should consider relocation.

[Wonder Why]

42. What's the big deal? They already have a "Kill Your Neighbor" law so they now added neighbor's kids.

Might as well bet rid of the kids and avoid having to care for their pesky orphans. They'd probably grow up to be libtards anyway.

(some need to need it) (More sarcasm).

[Evolve Dammit]

43. The stupidity is staggering. Let's bring back polio and the plague while you're at it Death Sentence.

[SouthernDem4ever]

44. Totally stupid move.

But then look at who's doing it.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

45. We need to build a wall on the Florida border.