Anti-vaccination movement taken to task over measles outbreak

From January 1 to January 23, 2015, 68 people from 11 states were reported to have measles. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of these cases are part of a large, ongoing outbreak linked to an amusement park in California. The U.S. has already seen a record number of measles cases in the past year, with 644 cases from 27 states reported to CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases in 2014. This is the greatest number of cases since measles elimination was documented in the U.S. in 2000.

Those infected with measles aren't the only ones suffering amid the ongoing Disneyland outbreak, as our partners at the National Public Health Information Coalition have recently shared, the anti-vaccination movement is enduring its fair share of criticism from the media. Here are just a few media excerpts:

Time magazine: “Less than two weeks into 2015 come the year’s first stories about the latest victims of the nation’s declining vaccine rate,” referring to the Disneyland outbreak. “And this time, ground zero is the self-proclaimed Happiest Place on Earth, which is in danger of becoming the decidedly less consumer-friendly Most Expensive Disease Vector on Earth.”

Los Angeles Times: “the anti-vaccination movement is a corner of the United States that is backsliding into medieval ignorance. Alarmingly, it finds a welcoming embrace in some of our most affluent and ostensibly educated communities, such as Marin County. Entertainment figures such as the starlet Jenny McCarthy and the talk show host Katie Couric have played their role in spreading the darkness.”

Bloomberg News: published an article about how measles may now be in the U.S. to stay, 15 years after it left.

Vox Media noted that this article, quoting Melinda Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, topped its list of most-read articles. "Women in the developing world know the power of (vaccines). They will walk 10 kilometers in the heat with their child and line up to get a vaccine, because they have seen death," said Gates. "We (Americans) have forgotten what measles deaths look like."

Jefferson County Public Health’s Immunization Program urges everyone to stay up-to-date on immunizations, including the Mumps, Measles, Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Please call 303-239-7078 to schedule an immunization appointment.

What is Emergency Preparedness and Response?

Jefferson County Public Health’s (JCPH) Emergency Preparedness and Response Program works year-round to help prepare the county for any public health threats, from a biological Anthrax attack, to a foodborne outbreak of E. Coli, to a global pandemic. JCPH’s epidemiologists, emergency response planners and health communications team work together to ensure we are prepared and ready to respond.

Disease Detectives

Commonly known as disease detectives, infectious disease epidemiologists investigate infectious disease outbreaks in the community. By investigating outbreaks, epidemiologists can contain the spread of the disease in the population and help prevent a similar outbreak from happening in the future. JCPH’s epidemiologists investigate approximately 25 to 30 outbreaks from Norovirus to E. Coli., and respond to over 150 disease complaints each year.

Every disease outbreak is unique, however most investigations follow the same process. JCPH works in coordination with health and medical systems across the county and throughout Colorado. Working together they use robust surveillance systems to quickly identify potential outbreaks. Diseases that are particularly concerning are classified as reportable conditions. This means that anytime someone is diagnosed with one of these diseases, it must be reported to the local health department. This helps health departments quickly identify potential outbreaks so they can be rapidly contained.

If there is an outbreak, the epidemiologist will start an investigation. The epidemiologist will interview the index case to determine what he or she has been doing, or where they have been and who they’ve come into contact with. This helps to determine how the person may have become infected, and who else they may have infected while they were contagious. This is called contact tracing. The epidemiologist will use the information they gather during contact tracing to develop a scientific hypothesis or explanation about the source of the outbreak. They will research their hypothesis and use their findings to help the health department determine how they will control the outbreak.

Public Health Emergency Response Planners

Public health emergency response planners plan for the worst public health disaster that they can possibly imagine. From a biological anthrax attack to a fictional zombie apocalypse, public health planners work to ensure that the community is prepared for any type of public health disaster. Planners start their work by analyzing the threats to the community so that they know what the most likely potential threats are. They work alongside Emergency Management, Fire Departments, EMS, Law Enforcement Agencies, and Healthcare Agencies to find effective and efficient ways to prepare the community.

Public health planners focus on public health threats and provide expertise about the public health impact of any disaster, such as smoke inhalation during a wildfire. They write plans, train professionals and the public, and conduct drills and exercises to test their plans and their trainings. At the end of the day, emergency response planners create a more prepared community.

2014 West Africa Outbreak

The Guinean Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Liberia, and the Nigerian Ministry of Health are working with national and international partners to investigate and respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. As of August 22, 2014, the suspected and confirmed case count was 2,615.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola HF) is one of numerous Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers. It is a severe, often fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). Ebola viruses are found in several African countries. The first Ebola virus was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, outbreaks of Ebola among humans have appeared sporadically in Africa. Public health professionals are using contact tracing to attempt to stop the disease from spreading. View this CDC infographic to learn more about contact tracing.

Visit the CDC web page for more information on Ebola and the current outbreak, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/guinea/index.html

Prevent Animal-Borne Diseases

Rabies, West Nile Virus, Western Equine Encephalitis, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Bubonic Plague, Tularemia, and Colorado Tick Fever are all diseases that can be carried by various animals and insects (rodents, mosquitoes or ticks) and then transmitted to humans. JCPH recommends everyone help control the presence of rodents and mosquitoes around their home. When heading outdoors, particularly to areas where wild animals and insects are active, be sure to wear insect repellant, appropriate clothing and protect your pets from fleas and ticks. Remember not to handle sick or dead animals or animal waste. A few precautions go a long way towards preventing animal-borne disease. For more information on Animal Borne Disease Prevention, check out our Brochure, or got to our Zoonosis web page.

Getting to Know a Public Health Nurse

By this time, I’m sure most of you have heard about the Salmonella outbreak related to products containing certain types of peanut butter. It still amazes me that epidemiologists are able to narrow down a source for a national outbreak affecting hundreds of people. One of the exciting parts of my job is that, often, I get to be involved in these investigations. With this outbreak, I had the chance to interview someone who had become sick with this particular type of Salmonella.
Certain illnesses are required to be reported to the state health department, and every day our team is notified of Jefferson County residents who have tested positive for a reportable condition. Salmonella is a “reportable” illnesses, and after receiving the original report, I started our standard investigation for Salmonella infection. After the first interview, I heard from the state health department that this individual “matched” an outbreak being tracked nationally. From there, we did more and more focused interviews. Initially, this individual thought the illness came from eating some undercooked chicken or cleaning out the cage of a pet snake. (Both legitimate ways of getting a Salmonella infection.) After further interviews, we discovered that peanut butter sandwich crackers were eaten 6 to 7 times each week, prior to the illness.
Though we regularly deal with diagnosed illnesses, at times we receive reports of illnesses in the community that have not yet been identified. School nurses may call to report a rash illness in their schools, or a nursing home may call for guidance with an outbreak of a diarrhea in their residents. This can start with a call to one of the communicable disease control nurses, and depending on the situation, different people within the county health department may become involved. For example, a person who calls with a complaint of getting sick after eating at a restaurant may need to speak with an Environmental Health Specialist. Other situations require intervention by our epidemiologists. Each person plays different roles at different times, but the overall goal is the same- to protect Jefferson County citizens from infectious diseases.