CDC Deploys Disease Detective and $4M to Combat Pennsylvania Measles Outbreak

The county at the center of Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak is at a clear disadvantage because, local officials say, it lacks its own health department. Now, it will receive specialized assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help manage the crisis.

As of Wednesday, Pennsylvania had confirmed 1,222 measles cases, a massive surge from just 86 cases the previous week. The state has also confirmed six measles-associated deaths.

The CDC announced on Thursday that it would deploy a scientist—specifically, a “disease detective” from the agency’s Epidemic Intelligence Service—to assist in tackling Pennsylvania’s rapidly growing outbreak.

“CDC will continue working closely with Pennsylvania health officials to provide the expertise and support needed to respond to the outbreak and protect public health,” a CDC spokesperson told NBC News on Thursday.

The spokesperson also added that CDC director, Dr. Erica Schwartz, recommends the MMR vaccine “as the most effective way to prevent measles and protect against infection.”

In addition to deploying the “disease detective,” the CDC is releasing nearly $4 million to support measles response efforts in Pennsylvania.

Lancaster county, the epicenter of the state’s outbreak with more than 415 confirmed cases as of early October, is the largest county in Pennsylvania without its own health department. The Amish community, or plain community, who historically have had lower vaccination rates, make up approximately 8% of the county’s population.

The Guardian reported earlier this month that the state was preparing for a significant wave of measles cases, with public health officials expressing concern that it was “only a matter of time” before the disease spread beyond the outbreak’s core area.

This outbreak occurs amid growing concerns about public health in the US, fueled by rising vaccine skepticism. Critics point to the influence of controversial Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has engaged in a public dispute with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Shapiro has strongly criticized the administration and Kennedy for spreading vaccine misinformation.

“I made very clear that his actions and the rhetoric that’s coming from this administration are having a negative impact on communities across America, particularly right here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said in August during a briefing reporting two measles deaths in the state, the first in three decades.

He continued: “There’s real-life consequences to spreading misinformation. There’s real-life consequences to scaring people.”

Alice Yoder, who was elected to the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners in 2023 and previously worked as a critical care nurse, told The Guardian that county officials were “very concerned” about the outbreak. She noted that the lack of a local health department puts the county at a distinct disadvantage.

“It’s a lot for our state to handle from a communication standpoint,” Yoder said. “They’re perhaps doing the best that they can, knowing that Pennsylvania has 67 counties, with 60 being under the auspices of the centralized state system rather than having their own health departments.”

She added: “By having a local health department, particularly one of our size, I believe it would mean we would have local data, it would be in real time, and we would have that information quickly. And most importantly, we would have an established staff, which has established relationships with a variety of partners within our community, which means that once we find a sign of an outbreak we would be able to respond to it really quickly.”

Yoder, who is now advocating for the establishment of a local health department, explained that due to the lack of one, she and her colleagues learn about measles cases and deaths only through public media announcements, at the same time as the general public.

“I never thought I would see measles again in my lifetime, but once it occurred I thought that we probably should have been prepared for it,” she said.

In contrast, Pennsylvania counties that do have their own health departments, such as Montgomery, have the advantage of working with local community health initiatives, including coalitions aimed at promoting immunization.

Susan Wenrick, vice-chair of the Montgomery County Immunization Coalition—which includes local government officials, healthcare professionals, and community members—stated that a primary goal of the coalition is to improve vaccine access.

“The biggest challenges to vaccinating people in Montgomery county have been access and availability, but one positive thing that came out of the pandemic was the public-private partnerships that were created to bring vaccines to communities, along with addressing the uninsured and underinsured barrier,” Wenrick said.

She added: “These are challenging times due to the amount of misinformation that is available, along with the average person turning to Google or social media for their health information instead of consulting their healthcare professional. A big part of MCIC’s efforts is to provide trusted resources for all.”

As of Friday, the CDC reported 4,410 measles cases nationwide, marking an increase of 330 from the previous week. As noted by Reuters, the CDC shifted to using mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics for measles-related deaths, rather than relying on state health departments—a change that has drawn scrutiny.

Source link