The close-knit population of devout Mennonites is at the heart of Texas’ latest measles outbreak and is now spreading westward to New Mexico.
Why is it important?
Measles was thought to be excluded in the United States in 2000, about 30 years after the first MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine was approved. However, the rise in vaccine skepticism has led to an increase in the nation’s number of children vulnerable to potentially fatal diseases.
Public health experts have issued warnings that anti-vaccine sentiment could lead to the outbreak of childhood diseases like measles and polio, which were once thought to have been eradicated from the United States. The anti-vaccine statement to the Secretary of Health and Human Services further fueled these concerns.
What do you know
Gaines County, which counts around 22,000 residents, is the epicenter of the current outbreak. As of Friday, there were 90 confirmed cases across Gaines, Dawson, Terry and Yoakum counties in northwest Texas, as of Friday, according to data from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
The majority (85%) of measles patients in Texas are children.
Most cases are concentrated in inadequate, close local Mennonite communities, according to Lara Anton, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Health.
In 2010, the Lubbock Avalanche Journal found that about a fifth of the county’s residents were considered to be part of the Mennonite faith. Mennonites are a diverse group of Christian denominations rooted in Protestant reforms who believe in pacifism and commitment to non-resistance.
The outbreak now extends from Gaines County across state boundaries, urging the New Mexico Department of Public Health to provide a free measles vaccination clinic in Lee County.
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Dr. Neil Maniarl, director of Northeastern University’s Public Health Program, said the outbreak is not a concern, but it is not “unexpected in any way.”
“If you combine it with a population that is as highly contagious as measles and has a vaccination rate below the required threshold for immunity in the herd, it becomes a dangerous combination,” he says. Ta.
Measles is very contagious, and nine in 10 people contacted by non-infected individuals. Symptoms begin to appear about 4 days after infection. Without knowing that the virus is infectious.
Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, told Newsweek that “persuasive needs” are to protect children at risk from measles. Ta.
He said the outbreak could pose a risk to children who have already been vaccinated. Vaccines are 97% effective, but there is still a certain percentage of individuals vaccinated to become ill due to illness.
What does Mennonite believe in vaccines?
Mennonites, who live in Gaines County, Texas, generally claim religious exemptions from the vaccine in line with Texas standards, most of which are concentrated among their communities.
However, the entire Mennonite Church is not opposed to vaccines. Religious leaders have said religious exemptions are unfounded, and some have even expressed openness to promoting Covid-19 vaccines.
“The church is not the reason they are not vaccinated. It’s all a personal choice and you can do whatever you want. It’s a community to do regular health care. It means you can’t get it,” the state health services told The Associated Press.
Mennonites are generally left to the individual to decide whether to get vaccinated or not.
During the pandemic, the American Congress of Mennonite Brethren Church issued a statement that their practices “provided the necessary basis for granting religious exemptions based on theological beliefs of the sect.” Still, they noted that individual members may have personal beliefs about the vaccine.
“USMB recognizes that we don’t all think or believe in the exact same way, and has deep belief in receiving one of the covid vaccines that others don’t hold. There may be people. However, USMB cannot make a universal statement. Based on theological or doctrinal opposition of the sect, an individual who has a religious belief. I support the claim.
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According to the Texas Historical Society, certain groups of Mennonites who settled around Gaines County did so because private schools were not strictly regulated.
Osterholm said public health officials in the area could work with community leaders to communicate measles risks and improve vaccination rates. These types of vaccine campaigns have been successful in other groups, including the Somali community in Minneapolis, he said.
Osterholm highlighted the need for a vaccine campaign before the outbreak began, especially in an era of increasing vaccine sentiment.
“If the virus isn’t floating around, people can always feel comfortable not getting vaccinated. The problem is that it changes so suddenly, like we saw in Gaines County,” he says. I did.
“As the outbreak begins, we can catch up with the vaccine. We’ll have many cases of serious illness and potential death.”
Public health officials must work with trusted community leaders to educate people on the benefits and safety of measles vaccines, mania said.
“That’s what we’re talking about health education, and that’s the key factor and it’s what makes this a community partnership. Understand where the different views come from in vaccination perspectives, and then education. “To be honest, it’s transparent and accessible to everyone,” he said.
He said health officials need to “movement quickly” to build trust in these communities to mitigate current and future potential outbreaks.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus that can cause “severe health complications,” particularly according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Symptoms of measles include high fever above 104°F, cough, cough, water, water, and rash, according to the CDC. More serious complications include pneumonia and encephalitis.
The CDC notes that a single dose of the MMR vaccine is about 93% effective. Two doses of the vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing measles. It is recommended that children get their first dose between 12 and 15 months and get a second dose between 4 and 6 years old.
Most public schools require the MMR vaccine, while some states allow religious or medical exemptions.
People can protect themselves by wearing an N95 respiratory system if they are in contact with someone who may have measles, but surgical masks are not as effective as he says. I said that.
People who have been vaccinated should be well protected against serious complications, enthusiasts should tell their doctors whether people who have been vaccinated before 1968 should get a booster. He added that he might consider it.
What people are saying
Albert Pilkington, CEO of the Seminole Hospital District, is the standard for Texas Standard. . quick. “
Health Department to Texas Hills: “Mennonite Churches allow free choice of vaccinations and are not widely available for vaccination. Mennonite families do not regularly seek traditional health care. , they don’t encourage children to vaccinate on schedule, and many attend small private schools in the community, so they don’t need to get vaccinated for schools.”
What will happen next
Osterholm warned that outbreaks are a “harbinger of what should come” due to the rise in anti-vaccine sentiment, and it is unclear how such outbreaks will cease.
“Unfortunately, these pockets of unvaccinated children demonstrate that they can serve very important and dangerous outcomes,” he said.
Minor warned that the US would “retreat” on vaccines rather than progress.
“There should be no reason to see measles occurring in this country or anywhere in the world due to the fact that we have a very safe and effective vaccine,” he said.
