Samoa Closes Schools as Measles Epidemic Kills at Least 6

[jpak]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/18/world/australia/samoa-measles-deaths-vaccination.html

“This is very much out of control,” a vaccine expert said, as the Pacific island country barred children from public gatherings and declared mandatory immunizations.

Schools in the Pacific island nation of Samoa were closed indefinitely on Monday and children have been barred from public gatherings amid a measles epidemic that has killed at least six people, most of them younger than age 2.

<snip>

The epidemic has come as the immunization rate against measles has plummeted in Samoa in the years since a medical mistake led to the deaths of two infants and spurred widespread mistrust of vaccinations. In those cases, nurses mistakenly administered a vaccine mixed with an anaesthetic.

The immunization rate dropped to as low as 30 percent last year from about 60 percent in 2016, according to figures from the World Health Organization. By contrast, in Fiji, Tonga and American Samoa, where outbreaks have also been reported, about 90 percent of children have been immunized.

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[msongs]

1. perhaps a quarantine is in order nt

[yortsed snacilbuper]

2. Thanks anti-vaxxers,

[mahina]

3. This is bad news for Hawaii too

As we have a big Samoan community and lots of travel between here and there.

Anti-Vaxxers, knock it off!

[Aristus]

4. At least the dead kids don't have autism...

*Bitter, Bitter *

Just in case you were wondering...