As Measles Cases Hit 35-Year Record High, Reed Slams Trump Admin. for Negligence & Urges Parents to Check with Their Pediatricians About Measles Vaccine

PROVIDENCE, RI – Cases of measles have already surged past last year’s total and now stand at 2,295 — the highest level of measles in the U.S. in 35 years, according to Johns Hopkins University’s U.S. measles tracker . So far this year, 93 percent of the infections involve the unvaccinated or those with unknown vaccination status. Health experts warn the disease is starting to threaten even well-protected regions, where vaccination rates are high, because of the highly contagious nature of the disease and the strain on limited resources. With children scheduled to head back to school in a few weeks, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is urging families to check with their pediatrician and make sure their children are up to date on immunizations. He is also criticizing the Trump Administration’s dismissive and unproductive response to the outbreak for making children less safe. Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease caused by a virus that destroys immune cells and can lead to severe complications – including hearing loss, blindness, and cognitive decline -- and even death. Once quite common, in 2000, the disease was deemed to be officially ‘eliminated’ in the U.S., defined as the absence of endemic measles virus transmission for more than 12 months. But now, after the Trump Administration targeted federal public health agencies for mass-firings and short-sighted cuts, promoted anti-vaccine propaganda, and focused on unproven treatments, a rash of measles cases is spreading in states across the country. In fact, the U.S. has already seen more cases in the past 18 months than in the previous two decades combined. Senator Reed accused the Trump Administration of exacerbating the spread of measles by spreading vaccine misinformation and failing to coordinate with state health officials. The Trump Administration’s systemic failure could cause the U.S. to lose its elimination status later this year. “We had measles beat, but now the Trump Administration is eroding herd immunity and making America contagious again. Measles is a dangerous virus. There appears to be a direct correlation between the resurgence of measles and the Trump Administration’s irresponsible cuts to public health and attacks on vaccines. Too many otherwise healthy children have died from this preventable disease. That is both a tragedy and a national failing that needs to be corrected to prevent future avoidable deaths. For too long, the Trump Administration has pushed an anti-science agenda that has left more Americans, especially kids, at risk. The Trump Administration can help stop the spread of measles with three easy steps: rehire public health experts, stop spreading misinformation and anti-vaccine sentiments, and encourage people to get immunized,” said Senator Reed. The successful U.S.-led fight to effectively eradicate measles at home and abroad spared countless children from suffering, long-term health damage, and death. But now, after Trump’s HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who spent years systemically stoking anti-vaccination sentiment and lobbying for lax vaccination rules – and downplayed the threat of measles -- the disease is creeping back and putting more Americans at risk. Moreover, it’s not just those that opt out of vaccinations who are at risk. Measles is extremely transmissible. Children don’t get their first vaccine dose until after 12 months, and full protection doesn’t kick in until they get their booster, usually between ages 4 and 6, making young children, especially infants, particularly vulnerable. Nearly one out of every three children under the age of 5 who catches measles ends up in the hospital, according to healthychildren.org, which offers tips to protect children from the disease . “The best way to protect people from measles is to prevent it from circulating. Through decades of bipartisan and diligent coordinated efforts, America achieved that goal, but now we’re starting to see measles make a comeback. The Trump Administration has to do a better job. Public health is a relay race, and HHS Secretary Kennedy -- who has no professional public health expertise or experience -- dropped the baton. Instead of misleading people and spreading misinformation, this Administration needs to provide the public with accurate scientific facts and do a better job when it comes to childhood vaccinations,” said Reed. The states with the most cases include South Carolina, Utah, Texas, Florida and Arizona. This week, a measles outbreak was declared in Delaware . So far this year, Rhode Island has reported two confirmed cases of measles, both of which were unrelated and connected to international travel, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health . According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, about 97 percent of students entering kindergarten in Rhode Island have received their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot. Due to the state’s high vaccination rate and herd immunity, a serious measles outbreak is less likely to spread widely in Rhode Island than in a place like Texas that has lower rates of childhood vaccination uptake. Doctors say the most effective way to combat the measles is to get vaccinated: it is 97 percent effective in preventing illness. Health officials suggest individuals born between 1963 and 1967 should check with their physician to see if they need to be immunized again. For more information on measles and childhood vaccinations, talk to your physician and visit the Rhode Island Department of Health website: https://health.ri.gov/diseases/measles