Florida Health Department officials are warning against alleged "false information" that they claim is being spread by media outlets regarding the state's ongoing measles outbreak.
Various reports revealed that at least 10 cases have been recorded in the state, leading some to criticize the department and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. This was for urging parental discretion on determining whether or not to keep children home in impacted areas of the state.
Florida Health Officials Warn of "False Information"
A spokesman for the department then noted to Florida's Voice a few details regarding the current situation in the state. First, at Manatee Bay Elementary, an originally impacted school, roughly 97% of its students have at least one dose of the relevant vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella, MMR.
They also noted that students were being recommended to stay home for up to 21 days if they have no history of infection or vaccination. It was noted that this was the length of time that the measles virus could still be transmitted, as per Florida's Voice News.
The statement said that there have been no recorded additional cases at Manatee Bay since Feb. 15. State authorities were said to have been working with the local school to inform parents of the risks as well as the best options that they can take for their own children and family members, whether or not the child is vaccinated.
Read Also : West Virginia's Bill for Child Vaccine Religious Exemptions Criticized by Health Experts
The Florida Health Department said it was also taking the measles cases very seriously and that investigations into the matter are ongoing despite a recorded high rate of immunity.
Ladapo also issued a letter to local parents that sparked media outrage due to the surgeon general's emphasis on parents making the best choice for their child and family.
On Feb. 20, he said that given the high immunity rate in the community, the burden on families, and the educational cost of healthy children missing school, they were referring to parents or guardians to make decisions about kids going to school.
Guidance To Protect Against Measles
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gives out typical guidance that tells unvaccinated children who have not yet had measles to isolate for 21 days in the event of a potential exposure at school, according to Fox News.
The Florida Department of Health also noted that details of the agency's investigations into the ongoing outbreak are "confidential." It also claimed that many media outlets have been reporting false information and politicizing the current health crisis.
A report on Tuesday noted that roughly 30% of students at Manatee Bay Elementary were unvaccinated. A statement by the school board noted that outbreaks were occurring in multiple states and that the national immunization rate for measles is less than 2%.
Other medical professionals have expressed their support of measles vaccinations and cautioned against sending unvaccinated kids to school amid an outbreak. A clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, Dr. Marc Siegel, said that it was extremely important for children to be vaccinated at this point in time, said WFIN.
Related Article: Florida Authorities Record 7th Measles Case in Student From Elementary School
