Dr. Peter Hotez on Measles Cases: ‘We Didn’t Have to Have This’ Because We’ve One of the Safest, Most Effective Vaccines

CABRERA And it s ░░░░░░░░ coming as we re ░░░░░░░░ more and more measles ░░░░░░░░ So we re dealing ░░░░░░░░ a health crisis right ░░░░░░░░ in this country up ░░░░░░░░ 248 cases across more ░░░░░░░░ a dozen states Medical ░░░░░░░░ say this is largely ░░░░░░░░ to decreased vaccination rates ░░░░░░░░ can doctors and officials ░░░░░░░░ those vaccination rates back ░░░░░░░░ Hotez Yeah this is ░░░░░░░░ hands on deck Ana ░░░░░░░░ mean this is a ░░░░░░░░ large and dangerous measles ░░░░░░░░ we re facing here ░░░░░░░░ Texas The official number ░░░░░░░░ around 200 but there ░░░░░░░░ probably many many more ░░░░░░░░ who are going to ░░░░░░░░ diagnosed sooner or somehow ░░░░░░░░ medical attention And it ░░░░░░░░ not just the cases ░░░░░░░░ it s you know ░░░░░░░░ plus hospitalizations And of ░░░░░░░░ we ve had the ░░░░░░░░ death in the child ░░░░░░░░ Texas and possibly the ░░░░░░░░ in New Mexico This ░░░░░░░░ a horrible horrible epidemic ░░░░░░░░ it continues to accelerate ░░░░░░░░ we ll get some ░░░░░░░░ numbers again tomorrow And ░░░░░░░░ time the numbers are ░░░░░░░░ than they were previously ░░░░░░░░ remember the incubation period ░░░░░░░░ measles is 12 to ░░░░░░░░ days So anytime the ░░░░░░░░ are going up you ░░░░░░░░ this measles epidemic will ░░░░░░░░ at least a couple ░░░░░░░░ more weeks after that ░░░░░░░░ I think this is ░░░░░░░░ to go well into ░░░░░░░░ end of the month ░░░░░░░░ and likely through the ░░░░░░░░ It s very unfortunate ░░░░░░░░ was an unforced error ░░░░░░░░ didn t have to ░░░░░░░░ this That child in ░░░░░░░░ Texas did not have ░░░░░░░░ lose his or her ░░░░░░░░ because it was entirely ░░░░░░░░ through one of the ░░░░░░░░ most effective vaccines we ░░░░░░░░ the MMR vaccine CABRERA ░░░░░░░░ of the safest most ░░░░░░░░ vaccines we have Dr ░░░░░░░░ Hotez it s good ░░░░░░░░ see you.”