The measles epidemic in Samoa isn’t the worst we have seen lately.
Although everyone is now talking about Samoa, let’s remember that there has been a rise in measles cases all over the world and that there have been:
- at least 676 deaths in the Philippines
- over 1,200 deaths in Madagascar
- over 4,500 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo
And most of those deaths have been in children.
The Measles Epidemic in Samoa
Measles is on the rise.
Not surprisingly, deaths from measles are also on the rise.
What’s different about Samoa is that they continue to be targeted by anti-vax folks, even as it is easy to see that anti-vaccine messaging helped contribute to this measles epidemic.
Sure, the recent mistake involving the nurses who incorrectly mixed up the MMR vaccine with an anesthetic instead of the proper diluent didn’t help, but anti-vax folks exploited that tragedy to scare parents even more.
So we now have a measles epidemic and low vaccination rates in a poor, developing country, with limited health care services.
And a lot of measles deaths as they struggle to get the epidemic under control by closing schools and banning public gatherings, and starting a compulsory, mass vaccination campaign.
A vaccination campaign that anti-vax folks are saying is somehow turning Samoa into Nazi Germany…
As anti-vax folks double down, even as kids die in these epidemics, know that you can help stop them by no longer spreading their propaganda and instead choosing to support vaccine advocacy groups.
And consider donating to Samoa’s Measles Emergency Options and the organizations that are helping control this epidemic, including UNICEF and the New Zealand Red Cross.
Mostly remember that in addition to working to control these epidemics, we can prevent them if more people get vaccinated and protected. After all, measles is a vaccine-preventable disease.
More on the Measles Epidemic in Samoa
- How Many People Have Died from Measles in 2019?
- More About Measles Deaths in the United States
- The Myth That Measles Isn’t Deadly
- Vaccines and the Holocaust
- Is a Vaccine Strain Causing The Latest Measles Outbreak?
- About Those Vaccine Strains in Measles Outbreaks…
- Who Gets SSPE?
- Who Dies with Measles?
- Did the Measles Vaccine Have Only a Meager Effect on Measles Deaths?
- Samoa’s devastating measles epidemic – why and how bad?
- Australian doctor talks about measles struggle
- ‘There are no words’: Samoa buries its children as measles outbreak worsens
- Measles – Global situation | Disease outbreak news, 27 November 2019
- UNICEF delivers over 260,000 vaccines and medical supplies to fight measles outbreaks in Samoa, Fiji and Tonga
- Measles: Samoa warns against anti-vaxxers
- Zero Deaths Next Week Should Be Our Mission
- Alternative healers threaten reporters as Samoa measles epidemic worsens
- Samoa measles patients ‘deteriorating before our eyes’ – doctor
- Alternative therapists spruik ‘healing water’ amid measles crisis in Samoa
- Measles epidemic: Samoa’s govt ‘worried’ by low vaccination rates for under-4s
- Samoa measles outbreak: Red Cross staff describe ‘immense’ workload
- Samoa measles vaccinations compared to ‘Nazi Germany’ by social media influencer
- WHO – Our Work in Samoa