{"id":2125,"date":"2025-03-21T11:40:20","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T11:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/21\/former-us-surgeon-general-america-is-getting-a-crash-course-in-herd-immunity\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T11:40:20","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T11:40:20","slug":"former-us-surgeon-general-america-is-getting-a-crash-course-in-herd-immunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/21\/former-us-surgeon-general-america-is-getting-a-crash-course-in-herd-immunity\/","title":{"rendered":"Former US surgeon general: America is getting a crash course in herd immunity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s note: <\/em><\/strong>Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as US surgeon general in the first Trump administration, is a distinguished professor in pharmacy practice and public health at Purdue University. <\/em><\/p>\n

The ongoing measles outbreak has reached three states and serves as a stark reminder of the vital role that herd immunity plays in safeguarding our communities. Originating in Gaines County, Texas, the outbreak has now resulted in 321 reported cases, with 38 hospitalizations and two deaths, including a school-age child who was unvaccinated. <\/p>\n

The initial epicenter within a Texas Mennonite community highlights how declining vaccination rates can lead to rapid disease transmission. While some may believe that abstaining from vaccination keeps them healthier or more resistant to diseases, the reality is that their \u201cimmunity\u201d has, until now, been borrowed from their vaccinated neighbors. This collective shield, known as herd immunity, is not automatic or enduring; it has been built over decades through high vaccination rates. <\/p>\n

Unfortunately, this protection is now eroding due to rising vaccine skepticism. <\/p>\n

Herd immunity works by ensuring that a high enough portion of the population is vaccinated so that highly contagious diseases like measles can\u2019t find a vulnerable \u201chost\u201d to spread to. This strategy protects those who cannot receive vaccines for medical reasons \u2014 and even those who refuse them for personal beliefs. However, as vaccine skepticism grows, many who have unwittingly benefited from herd immunity in the past are now at greater risk \u2014 ironically, from themselves. <\/p>\n

A significant driver of current skepticism has been Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the nonprofit organization he led, Children\u2019s Health Defense, which has spread vaccine mistrust and misinformation for years. <\/p>\n

Ironically \u2014 or perhaps inevitably \u2014 now that Kennedy is secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, he faces the largest measles outbreak in Texas and the first child death from measles in over 20 years. Recently, at President Donald Trump\u2019s first Cabinet meeting, Kennedy acknowledged the death but seemed to dismiss the outbreak as \u201cnot unusual,\u201d drawing widespread criticism. <\/p>\n

Now, as the outbreak spirals, he has reversed course, declaring measles a top HHS priority. In a subsequent Fox News op-ed, Kennedy wrote, \u201cMeasles outbreak is a call to action for all of us,\u201d emphasizing how vaccinations contribute to community immunity. This marked a dramatic shift from his past rhetoric, as he is now being forced to confront the consequences of the very skepticism he helped foster. <\/p>\n

This moment is critical for both Kennedy and the nation. As I have previously stated, his tenure will not be defined by his work on nutrition or chronic disease (no matter how commendable) but by how he responds to an inexorably increasing number of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. <\/p>\n

As Kennedy himself has acknowledged, the resurgence of measles \u201cmust serve as a wake-up call.\u201d The disease was declared eliminated in the US <\/strong>in 2000, thanks to decades of high vaccination rates. But since then, growing vaccine hesitancy, driven in part by disinformation campaigns, has led to declining immunization rates and renewed outbreaks. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in some communities, childhood vaccination rates have dropped below the 95% threshold needed to maintain herd immunity. The result? Vulnerable populations \u2014 including infants, immunocompromised individuals and those who opt out of vaccines \u2014 are now at greater risk than ever before. <\/p>\n

The tragic death of a child should in and of itself be enough to remind us of the serious implications of measles outbreaks. Although it\u2019s true, as Kennedy points out, that most individuals who contract measles will not die from it, we also cannot overlook the alarming reality that 1 in 10 confirmed cases during this outbreak has required hospitalization. This statistic underscores the fact that even non-fatal cases can lead to severe health complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, pregnancy-related issues and potential lifelong health challenges. <\/p>\n

However, what makes measles particularly dangerous is its extreme contagiousness; many experts describe it as the most contagious virus known. It spreads through airborne particles and can linger in the air for hours. In an unvaccinated community, one infected person can spread measles to up to 90% of those around them. This is why even small declines in vaccination rates can lead to major outbreaks, with hospitalizations and deaths to follow. The Texas situation is proof that when herd immunity erodes, it\u2019s not a matter of if, but when, these outbreaks will follow. <\/p>\n

The challenge for Kennedy is not just responding to this particular outbreak but reversing the tide of vaccine skepticism that has grown, in part, because of his own past activism. A true leader must be willing to acknowledge mistakes \u2014 even if unintended \u2014 and correct course. If he is serious about tackling measles, Kennedy must take concrete steps <\/strong>to promote vaccine uptake, even in areas and times when there isn\u2019t an active outbreak. Such measures include <\/strong>launching aggressive public education campaigns, ensuring vaccine access, and working with state and local officials to restore trust in immunization programs. And like his predecessors, he must consistently and unequivocally state his commitment to vaccines. <\/p>\n

Ultimately, both Kennedy and much of unvaccinated America are receiving a crash course on the topic of herd immunity. The ability of a minority to remain unvaccinated has always depended on the decisions of a vast majority to protect them. Now, as we confront more outbreaks, one lesson is clear: Community immunity is not just a personal choice, it is a collective responsibility. Kennedy\u2019s legacy will be defined not by what he has said in the past but by what he does now. He will be remembered either as the vaccine skeptic who turned vaccine champion or as the man at the helm of HHS when America made measles great again. For the sake of our public health, and our children, we should all hope it\u2019s the former, not the latter. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s note: Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as US surgeon general in the first Trump administration, is a distinguished professor in pharmacy practice and public health at Purdue University. The ongoing measles outbreak has reached three states and serves as a stark reminder of the vital role that herd immunity plays in safeguarding our communities. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2126,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"loftocean_post_primary_category":0,"loftocean_post_format_gallery":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_ids":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_urls":"","loftocean_post_format_video_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_video_url":"","loftocean_post_format_video_type":"","loftocean_post_format_video":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_type":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_url":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_audio":"","loftocean-featured-post":"","loftocean-like-count":0,"loftocean-view-count":396,"tinysalt_single_post_intro_label":"","tinysalt_single_post_intro_description":"","tinysalt_hide_post_featured_image":"","tinysalt_post_featured_media_position":"","tinysalt_single_site_header_source":"","tinysalt_single_custom_site_header":"0","tinysalt_single_custom_sticky_site_header":"0","tinysalt_single_custom_sticky_site_header_style":"sticky-scroll-up","tinysalt_single_site_footer_source":"","tinysalt_single_custom_site_footer":"0","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2125\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}