Top official overseeing Washington state's worst measles outbreak in two decades says U.S. government needs a national campaign to counter false information about vaccines, much like the anti-smoking campaigns launched decades ago.
John Wiesman, Washington state's secretary of health, talks to reporters after appearing before a state legislative committee on health care in Olympia. By Lena H. Sun Lena H. Sun National reporter focusing on health Email Bio Follow March 5 at 6:01 AM The top official overseeing Washington state’s worst measles outbreak in two decades is calling on the federal government to launch a national campaign to counter anti-vaccine groups spreading false information.
“We don’t have anything to counter the media of a very well-organized and connected group of a small number of folks who are having a huge impact” in spreading misinformation about vaccine safety, Wiesman said. “We’re really lacking that.” But the legislatures in Washington and Oregon are considering laws that would remove nonmedical exemptions for the routinely administered measles vaccine.The United States eliminated measles in 2000, which was considered a significant public health success. But since then, the resurgence of cases is mostly the result of U.S. travelers returning home with the infection or spreading it to communities with high concentrations of individuals who aren’t vaccinated.
In recent years, there have been several large sustained measles outbreaks in Britain, Germany, France and Italy, all popular tourist destinations for U.S. travelers.
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