Author: Jason Wilson / Source: the Guardian
A measles outbreak which has spread from south-west Washington to other parts of the Pacific north-west has highlighted low vaccination rates in the region, and the danger the disease presents to unvaccinated children.
The development has sparked concerns that parents deliberately choosing not to vaccinate their children – out of scientifically unfounded concerns that vaccinations can harm them – are leading to epidemics that could easily be avoided.
Washington governor Jay Inslee recently declared a state of emergency in response to a growing number of measles cases in the city of Vancouver, which lies within Clark county in the south of the state.
By 29 January, Clark county public health (CCPH) had identified 36 confirmed cases of measles and 12 suspected cases. Twenty-five cases involved children under 10, 32 of those affected had not been immunized, and the remaining four had an unconfirmed vaccination status.
CCPH also listed a range of exposure sites including schools, health centers and restaurants. Prominent among the sites were a number of Vancouver-area evangelical churches and Christian academies.
Across the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon, one confirmed case had been identified by 29 January. Exposure sites there included a church; the Moda Center, where the Portland Trailblazers play NBA games; and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, an attraction which is popular with the city’s children. Another case has been confirmed in King county, which contains Seattle.
Clark county vaccination rates among children are low, and far below what they were in previous decades. Between the 2004-2005 school year and 2017-2018, vaccination rates among Clark county kindergartners fell from 91.4% to 76.5%.
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