A New York child has died of measles, state health officials announced Monday evening. This is the first measles-associated death reported in New York in more than 30 years. This is the seventh measles-related death reported in the United States this year; the other six deaths were reported in Pennsylvania, which is experiencing a dramatic measles outbreak that has affected more than 1,430 people this year. Prior to these deaths, Pennsylvania had not seen a measles-related death in 35 years.
The rise in outbreaks, cases and tragic vaccine-preventable deaths is fueled by declining vaccination rates nationwide, as health misinformation and anti-vaccine sentiments have taken hold. One of the most prominent anti-vaccine activists in the United States is currently the US Secretary of Health; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent decades before taking office attacking vaccines and spreading misinformation. He and his anti-vaccine organization, Children’s Health Defense, have been one of the most prolific sources of anti-vaccine content.
Since taking office, Kennedy has waged a multi-pronged war on vaccines that has included dismantling and obstructing federal vaccine recommendations; launching dubious studies to investigate alleged and unspecified harms from vaccines; promoting so-called vaccine injuries; and continue to spread misinformation about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases.
In a statement, New York Governor Kathy Hochul directly linked the state’s death to Kennedy’s policies and his anti-vaccine activism. She called the child’s death “a devastating reminder of what is at stake when Washington deliberately erodes decades of progress in protecting Americans from preventable diseases.” She also said she was heartbroken by the death, sending her condolences to the family. “As a mother and grandmother, I can’t imagine what this family is going through,” Hochul said. In total, New York has reported 170 cases of measles in more than a dozen counties.
Alert blocked
Days before the seventh preventable measles death, the Washington Post reported on Kennedy’s latest attempts to thwart public health efforts: Career scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — which is under Kennedy’s control — were blocked from issuing an urgent health alert to clinicians regarding the risk and management of measles cases during pregnancy.
Given the success of vaccines and vaccination campaigns, many clinicians have never seen such cases in their careers. But measles infections during pregnancy pose serious and even fatal risks to both pregnant women and fetuses. As such, CDC scientists wanted to issue an advisory through the CDC Health Alert Network.
Gn Health
