Dr. Paul Offit on Measles Outbreak: ‘No Vaccine Is 100 Percent Effective’

SANCHEZ There are new ░░░░░░░░ out of Texas that ░░░░░░░░ that measles cases are ░░░░░░░░ and so are hospitalizations ░░░░░░░░ are now 223 confirmed ░░░░░░░░ with nearly 30 hospitalized ░░░░░░░░ majority of those patients ░░░░░░░░ 78 percent are kids ░░░░░░░░ affected are the unvaccinated ░░░░░░░░ those with an unknown ░░░░░░░░ status Just five cases ░░░░░░░░ 2 percent are people ░░░░░░░░ say they ve received ░░░░░░░░ least one dose of ░░░░░░░░ MMR vaccine KEILAR And ░░░░░░░░ was five years ago ░░░░░░░░ that another unchecked virus ░░░░░░░░ most of the world ░░░░░░░░ a halt Five years ░░░░░░░░ today if you can ░░░░░░░░ that the Covid 19 ░░░░░░░░ declared a pandemic by ░░░░░░░░ World Health Organization Dr ░░░░░░░░ Offit is co inventor ░░░░░░░░ the rotavirus vaccine which ░░░░░░░░ CDC recommends for universal ░░░░░░░░ in infants is with ░░░░░░░░ now Dr Offit vaccines ░░░░░░░░ Covid all but eliminated ░░░░░░░░ measles from this country ░░░░░░░░ are you thinking about ░░░░░░░░ today OFFIT Well I ░░░░░░░░ you re right We ░░░░░░░░ we had our second ░░░░░░░░ recommendation for a measles ░░░░░░░░ in 1989 within 10 ░░░░░░░░ we had eliminated measles ░░░░░░░░ this country And even ░░░░░░░░ measles comes into this ░░░░░░░░ from other countries because ░░░░░░░░ had a high vaccination ░░░░░░░░ high population immunity it ░░░░░░░░ spread from American child ░░░░░░░░ American child But over ░░░░░░░░ last 25 years there ░░░░░░░░ been an erosion in ░░░░░░░░ confidence There s been ░░░░░░░░ of vaccine safety And ░░░░░░░░ most importantly I think ░░░░░░░░ only have we largely ░░░░░░░░ measles we ve eliminated ░░░░░░░░ memory of measles And ░░░░░░░░ think that s part ░░░░░░░░ the problem SANCHEZ To ░░░░░░░░ point these 225 or ░░░░░░░░ cases in west Texas ░░░░░░░░ 30 in New Mexico ░░░░░░░░ far do you think ░░░░░░░░ outbreak could spread OFFIT ░░░░░░░░ it certainly before there ░░░░░░░░ a vaccine we d ░░░░░░░░ three million to four ░░░░░░░░ cases a year 50 ░░░░░░░░ hospitalizations and 500 deaths ░░░░░░░░ mean you re seeing ░░░░░░░░ that a susceptible community ░░░░░░░░ being infected with a ░░░░░░░░ that s highly contagious ░░░░░░░░ there are many communities ░░░░░░░░ the Mennonite community where ░░░░░░░░ immunization rate s around ░░░░░░░░ percent You know I ░░░░░░░░ in Philadelphia in 1991 ░░░░░░░░ we had 1 400 ░░░░░░░░ and nine deaths again ░░░░░░░░ on two religious groups ░░░░░░░░ were under vaccinated We ░░░░░░░░ an outbreak in Brooklyn ░░░░░░░░ 2018 2019 There was ░░░░░░░░ an under vaccinated community ░░░░░░░░ were 650 cases in ░░░░░░░░ in 2014 2015 An ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated community in southern ░░░░░░░░ it spread to seven ░░░░░░░░ spread to Canada spread ░░░░░░░░ Mexico So it s ░░░░░░░░ highly contagious virus It ░░░░░░░░ the most contagious virus ░░░░░░░░ I think when you ░░░░░░░░ unvaccinated it s a ░░░░░░░░ Another thing that s ░░░░░░░░ you re actually better ░░░░░░░░ being unvaccinated living in ░░░░░░░░ highly vaccinated community than ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated living in a ░░░░░░░░ unvaccinated community So when ░░░░░░░░ say that there are ░░░░░░░░ handful of people who ░░░░░░░░ being vaccinated are or ░░░░░░░░ become infected that s ░░░░░░░░ no vaccine is 100 ░░░░░░░░ effective And when you ░░░░░░░░ a highly unvaccinated community ░░░░░░░░ this one then you ░░░░░░░░ more likely to be ░░░░░░░░ and more likely to ░░░░░░░░ sick.”