Floridaā€™s controversial surgeon general is drawing criticism for his handling of an elementary schoolā€™s measles outbreak, telling parents of unvaccinated children it is their choice whether their students attend class ā€” a contravention of federal guidelines calling for their mandatory exclusion.

Dr. Joseph Ladapo, nationally known for his outspoken skepticism toward the COVID-19 vaccine, sent a letter this week to parents at Manatee Bay Elementary School near Fort Lauderdale after six students contracted the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus. Such outbreaks are rare in the United States, though reported cases have spiked from 58 for all of 2023 to 35 already this year.

The letter notes that when a school has a measles outbreak, it is ā€œnormally recommendedā€ that unvaccinated students who havenā€™t previously had the disease be kept home for three weeks ā€œbecause of the high likelihoodā€ they will be infected.

  • RegalPotoo@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago
    • kids donā€™t have a choice, the state has an obligation to protect them from harms even if their parents willfully put them at risk
    • Vaccines arenā€™t 100% effective, a certain number of children will catch the disease even if vaccinated
    • Vaccines arenā€™t available to everyone
    • Greater spread encourages more mutation, leading to more dangerous variants

    Sounds familiar right.

    Remember all those siblings and extended family members who died of smallpox when you were younger? No? Thatā€™s because we drove smallpox to the edge of extinction through aggressive vaccination campaigns over decades. We almost managed to do the same with measles until these chucklefucks ruined it for cheap political points, and now 136,000 people died from it last year

    • minibyte@sh.itjust.works
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      10 months ago

      We almost managed to do the same with measles until these chucklefucks ruined it for cheap political points, and now 136,000 people died from it last year

      That was my initial thought, but didnā€™t think through the previous points you made. Thank you for the quality reply. I retract my statement and admit my ignorance.

    • Telorand@reddthat.com
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      10 months ago

      Thankfully I donā€™t live in Florida, but this is basically allowing parents to expose other peopleā€™s children to diseases against another parentā€™s knowledge or consent.

      Parentsā€™ rights insomuch as they win political points.