“Sick killers”: Florida SG’s encouragement to send unvaccinated kids to school amid measles outbreak sparks critical response online

Health officials are currently warning of an increase in measles cases, and an outbreak at a Florida elementary school is the most recent in a series of flare-ups in almost a dozen states nationwide.

At least six cases of measles have been confirmed by Broward County health department authorities. For infants and young children in particular, measles can be extremely harmful or even fatal.

The news was uploaded on X (Image via X/@DrEricDing)

However, as per The Atlantic, the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, said:

“Due to the high immunity rate in the community, as well as the burden on families and educational cost of healthy children missing school, DOH is deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance.”

Meanwhile, once the news was uploaded on X, it outraged the netizens. They took to the social media platform to express their opinions against the state and the decision of the authorities.

Netizens reacted to the news (Image via X/@dnw_stock)

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Internet slams Florida authorities for encouraging to send unvaccinated kids to schools amid measles outbreak

As reported by Stat News, as of now, six cases of measles have been reported at the Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, Florida.

According to a notice sent on Friday, February 16, 2024, by the Florida Department of Health in Broward County to nearby medical professionals, a third-grader who had no prior travel history was recently diagnosed. The other patients' ages or grades are still unknown.

However, as per Stat News, in a letter dated Tuesday, February 20, 2024, regarding the outbreak, the state’s surgeon general, Ladapo stated that it was the standard procedure to advise unvaccinated children to stay at home during such outbreaks. However, the state department of health will give the parents the option of whether or not to send their susceptible children to school.

Ladapo stated that there was no need for immediate action to stop the unvaccinated kids from attending classes because of these six cases.

Furthermore, according to The Atlantic, he also said that the state's health department "is deferring to parents or guardians" to decide whether or not their children should attend school.

He also claimed that it was due to the high immunity rate in the community, the financial strain on families, and the educational costs associated with healthy children missing school.

On the other hand, once the news was uploaded on X, netizens took to the platform to criticize the decision, the government, and Ladapo himself.

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According to NBC News, in the same notice sent to nearby medical professionals on Friday, February 16, 2024, the Florida Department of Health in Broward County said that there were three confirmed cases of measles at the elementary school on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. The other patients' ages or grades are still unknown.

Additionally, when there is a measles outbreak, public health officials often advise kids without the proper vaccination to stay at home until the outbreak has passed.

Since measles has a long incubation period, which is up to 21 days and can spread in the four days before an infected person becomes ill, there might be a prolonged delay from in-person instruction.

For those 21 days, the countdown clock is reset each time a new case is found. Students who stay at home can receive instruction from Broward County Public Schools online.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that getting the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine on a regular basis can easily prevent the disease.

Additionally, as per USA Today, since December, instances have been reported from almost a dozen states, and outbreaks have happened in Pennsylvania, Washington state, and now Florida.