Measles outbreak erupts among unvaccinated children in Ohio daycare

There is an outbreak of the disease among unvaccinated children in Columbus, Ohio.

At least four children have been affected by the outbreak, all of whom were unvaccinated with no history of travel, according to Columbus area health officials. The outbreak is still being investigated. Parents are being contacted by health officials. The facility temporarily shut down.

WBNS-TV reported that one of the four cases had been taken to the intensive care unit. There will be more cases identified in the coming days according to officials.

According to a representative for Columbus Public Health, all four cases are now at home.

The city health department doesn't report vaccination rates in the area to the representative. Ars tried to get that information from the state health department, but they were not able to provide it. When they arrive, we will update this post.

Worrying trends

Data on vaccine rates statewide and nationwide shows a decline. According to an analysis published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccination coverage for kindergarteners fell from 95 percent to 94 percent between the year 2020 and 2021.

The decline was more pronounced in Ohio. In the school year that ended in March of this year, 92.4 percent of kindergarteners had been up-to-date on their immunizations. In the 2020- 2021 school year, coverage fell to 89.6%.

Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts said that she had noticed a trend among local parents who didn't want their kids to bevaccinated. Roberts said that the most effective way to protect against the disease is to get a vaccine.

Public health officials are concerned about the hold antivaccine sentiment has in the country. Antivaccine views mushroomed into the mainstream after a flood of misinformation and politicization of public health following the COVID-19 epidemic. Republican lawmakers lashed out against vaccine mandates and other health measures meant to lower transmission and prevent deaths and illness.

In Ohio, a sweeping antivaccine bill was introduced last year that would allow people to decline vaccinations simply because of their religious beliefs. The bill was supported by testimony from a doctor who claimed that people become magnetic by getting COVID-19 vaccinations. At least 25 states have considered bills to roll back vaccinations.

Preventable

National and most state vaccination rates are generally strong, even though they are below the target of 95 percent. There are pockets of under-vaccinated communities that can be hidden by good vaccine rates. There is a county in New York that has a low vaccine rate for children under the age of 24 months. The same county had a large outbreak of the disease in 2019.

One of the biggest successes of modern public health is the success of mass vaccinations. The spread of infectious diseases is concerning.

Measles can be spread by coughing, talking, or simply being in the same room as a person with the disease. The Franklin County health department stated in a press release that ninety percent of unvaccinated people will become ill and 1 in 5 will need hospitalization.

Measles is both highly contagious and preventable, according to the release. It can be a serious illness, so we strongly encourage anyone who hasn't beenvaccinated to do so.

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