Measles has been spreading across Pennsylvania for months, and it is now the state’s worst public health threat in three decades. The outbreak has begun to outpace the rate of infections seen during the state’s last major measles outbreak.
A large share of the cases affects the state’s Amish and conservative Mennonite communities, centred in Lancaster County. State health officials have confirmed nearly 1,400 cases there.
Hospitalizations and deaths mount during the outbreak
More than 260 people have been hospitalized. Officials confirmed five deaths from the virus in the past week alone.
Poor vaccination rates in these low-tech, rural communities have been linked to a traditional preference for natural immunity and limited access to health care. However, the rapid spread and the risk to babies are forcing many families to reconsider.
Mobile clinics and elders help boost MMR uptake
Medical teams in the region are running mobile clinics and adapting grassroots clinics to cultural protocols so they can give critical doses. The teams have built trust with community elders, and wider receptivity is beginning to emerge.
Hundreds of families have independently sought the MMR vaccine. The development is seen as a critical turning point in containing the outbreak and protecting the region heading into winter.
