Florida is swamped by disease outbreaks as quackery replaces science

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Florida is swamped by disease outbreaks as quackery replaces science

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/03/florida-measles-outbreak-preventable



Richard Luscombe in Miami

The state is in the grip of a measles outbreak, yet Joseph Ladapo, the surgeon general, continues to ignore medical science to stop it

Last modified on Sun 3 Mar 2024 08.03 EST

Shortly before Joseph Ladapo was sworn in as Florida’s surgeon general in 2022, the New Yorker ran a short column welcoming the vaccine-skeptic doctor to his new role, and highlighting his advocacy for the use of leeches in public health.

It was satire of course, a teasing of the Harvard-educated physician for his unorthodox medical views, which include a steadfast belief that life-saving Covid shots are the work of the devil, and that opening a window is the preferred treatment for the inhalation of toxic fumes from gas stoves.
man in a suit speaks at a podium, with people behind him

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But now, with an entirely preventable outbreak of measles spreading across Florida, medical experts are questioning if quackery really has become official health policy in the nation’s third most-populous state.

“The surgeon general is Ron DeSantis’s lapdog, and says whatever DeSantis wants him to say,” said Dr Robert Speth, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at south Florida’s Nova Southeastern University with more than four decades of research experience.

“His statements are more political than medical and that’s a horrible disservice to the citizens of Florida. He’s somebody whose job is to protect public health, and he’s doing the exact opposite.”................

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‘Not a disease you want to relive’: why is the US seeing outbreaks of measles?

Experts sound alarm after children in two states infected with disease and state official tells parents to ignore CDC advice

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/25/us-measles-outbreak

@Jessica Glenza Sun 25 Feb 2024 08.02 EST
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“It’s a worrisome disease for a number of reasons, so I’m worried,” said Dr Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the division of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Chop). Offit is also the recent author of Tell Me When It’s Over: An Insider’s Guide to Deciphering Covid Myths and Navigating Our Post-Pandemic World.

Side effects from the measles vaccine are rare, usually transient and not serious. The disease itself, however, can have very serious consequences, including rare neurological infections and death. Roughly one to two children per 1,000 infected will die of the disease or its complications, according to the CDC. In rare cases, serious conditions can emerge years later.

Describing measles symptoms, Offit said: “the rash starts at the hairline and spreads to the face … It’s like you sort of had a bucket of rash poured on your head,” which spreads down the body.

“It’s invariably associated with cough, conjunctivitis and runny nose,” Offit said, adding, “and kids are sick – they look sick, they’re miserable.”

A child of the 1950s, Offit was infected with measles himself (the first vaccine was introduced in 1963), and has personally treated cases of neurological devastation related to measles infections...............................