Two unvaccinated Arkansas children are state's first measles cases since 2018
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Two unvaccinated Arkansas children — one in Saline County and one in Faulkner County — have contracted measles, the state's first cases since 2018, the Arkansas Department of Health said Thursday.
Why it matters: Measles, a highly contagious respiratory virus that can be especially dangerous for children under 5 years old, was previously declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, Axios' Ivana Saric writes.
- Now, two unvaccinated children in Texas have died amid an outbreak that has sparked fears among health officials that the disease could be rebounding in the U.S. amid falling vaccination rates.
Reality check: Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97% effective against measles, according to the CDC.
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been criticized for downplaying measles risks and the efficacy of vaccines, advocated for the MMR vaccine during a visit to West Texas on Sunday to comfort two families whose children died of the disease, Axios' Rebecca Falconer writes.
What's next: The state health department is urging anyone who was at any of the following locations during the specified dates and times to make sure they are up to date on their MMR vaccinations.
- Baptist Health Urgent Care on Military Road in Benton on April 6 from 3:30pm-6:09pm.
- Saline Memorial Hospital Emergency Department on April 6 from 6:30pm-10:30pm.
- Arkansas Pediatrics of Conway on on April 7 from 9:10-11:25 a.m. and 4-6:45 p.m.
- Benton Family Clinic on April 8 from 10:30am-1:30pm.
- Arkansas Children's Emergency Department on April 8 from 11:49am-5:59pm or on April 9 from 1:15pm-8:40pm.