After Measles Outbreak Traced To Florida Spreads To Multiple States, Critics Blame DeSantis’ Vaccine-Skeptic Surgeon General

Health officials have identified Florida as a common link in measles cases reported in at least three other states this year, which has shed light on the early infections that have contributed to the recent surge of this highly contagious virus.

According to communications between local investigators and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health believes that families from Indiana and Louisiana, who were affected by measles earlier this year, may have come into contact with each other while in the state. Louisiana had previously confirmed that their first two measles cases were linked to travel to another state but did not disclose the specific location. In addition to Indiana and Louisiana, a patient in Ohio also contracted measles after they visited Florida this year.

Emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request reveal discussions among health officials regarding a possible connection between these cases. It remains unclear if these cases are the same as those reported by the Orlando Sentinel last month, which involved an adult and three young children treated at local emergency rooms.

Grant Kemp, deputy press secretary for the Florida Department of Health, highlighted that emphasis on Florida as the epicenter of the measles cases would be deceptive, as other states have also reported infections.

Critics have placed the blame squarely on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who allowed unvaccinated kids to return to schools with measles outbreaks.

The initial case of the Broward County outbreak involved a 9-year-old child who had not received the measles vaccine due to a religious exemption. Subsequently, other suspected measles cases were reported among unvaccinated students at the same school. The child had not recently traveled abroad, and a total of nine cases were ultimately reported in Broward County before the outbreak was declared over by state officials.

These developments come as health officials continue to urge unvaccinated individuals to receive the measles vaccine, particularly before international travel. The United States has already surpassed the number of measles cases reported in all of 2023 within the first three months of 2024. The CDC has confirmed cases in multiple states, including Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.

According to the CDC, 93% of measles infections reported this year have been linked to travel outside of the country. The agency updated its guidance on March 13 and advised unvaccinated Americans who travel internationally to seek vaccination at least six weeks before their trip, regardless of age (as long as the traveler is at least six months old). No specific vaccination recommendations have been issued for domestic travelers who visit states with ongoing measles outbreaks.

The CDC continues to stress the importance of measles vaccination for everyone older than 12 months old. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has been widely used for decades and is proven to be safe and effective against this once-common illness.

While the recent increase in measles cases highlights the importance of catching up on missed routine vaccinations during the pandemic, health officials believe that the situation is currently “nowhere close to” the sustained outbreaks that could jeopardize the U.S.’s status of having eliminated the virus. Vaccination rates in the country are expected to be sufficient in preventing a resurgence of the deadly waves of infections that previously claimed numerous lives and led to the hospitalization of thousands of children each year. The U.S. officially declared measles eliminated in 2000.

However, the CDC has cautioned that ongoing outbreaks abroad and pockets of low vaccination coverage within the U.S. leave certain communities vulnerable to the spread of measles. The agency stated, “Given currently high population immunity against measles in most U.S. communities, the risk of widescale spread is low. However, pockets of low coverage leave some communities at higher risk for outbreaks.”