Montana can start collecting vaccination data again in the middle of the US measles epidemic

Epidemiologist Sophia Newcomer does not have much data to work when Montana tries to evaluate how well Montana can prevent the measles epidemic spreading to the USA.

A Federal State State Survey Last year, it showed that more than 86% of Montana’s 2 -year -old children had recently received measles, mumps and rubella vaccines. According to previous surveys, this figure has decreased in recent years and New Arrivals, Associate Professor At the University of Montana, the last ratio is “far below” the ideal 95% threshold for the protection of society against high infectious diseases.

However, beyond this state -wide prediction, it is difficult to find information about Montana’s tendency to local and regional vaccination. State officials no longer collect collective vaccination reports or medical and religious exemptions from schools and child care centers. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforde’s management stopped the application after signing A 2021 bill It hit the need.

The last of the local reports is from the 2018-19 academic year before the disruptions of Covid-19. Without information, Newcomer said local and state officials are struggling to strategically prevent the spread of vaccine preventive disease.

“The state average is useful, but it is really what we need to move towards the district level or smaller geographical levels, to evaluate the risk of epidemics,” he said.

Montana is the only state that does not collect vaccination reports from local schools and creates a data gap for disease control and prevention centers. Information scarcity also affects the city and district medical officials who do not make their own data sharing agreements with school regions.

The supporters of the 2021 measures to stop collecting data said that students aim to protect personally identifiable information and medical records and do not plan to cancel the reporting system completely.

A former Republican legislator Jennifer Carlson and the State Health Department are the reason for the stopping of data collection.

State MPs they think of a invoice To take back the 2021 policy while maintaining privacy protection for individual student records. After stopping in the early hours of this session, democratic supported HB 364 In March, he developed two-party support and cleaned the house with 66-31 votes.

Draft Law Supported by Democratic Representative Melody CunninghamHe received support from the State Health Department, an agency under the direction of Gianforde.

Republican Representative John Fitzatrick He said he believes the bill was a good policy for the state.

“It is important that public health authorities have access to total information so that vaccines are not used,” he said.

Montana did not confirm a measles case Since 1990. But with more 480 cases reported In Texas, New Mexico and 17 other states, he confirmed that he had died of a child, and Newcomer, a death under investigation, said that he and his other disease experts were “on the edge about the defenses of Montana. Three cases were confirmed in the south of Calgary in the state of Canada, which shared a border with Montana.

“When the vaccination rates fall in a community in a community, I want to say that this is not a question, because the question of when the measles will come, because incredibly contagious, Dav said a pediatrician and researcher.

Higgins was working in Montana when the law, which required schools and government officials to share data. Considering how the outbreaks started at the hyperlocal level, he said he was disappointed on his return 2021.

“This is an important difficulty when community leaders do not understand the level of local vaccine and community immunity, Hang said Higgins. “Hamstung because this data is not ready.”

Measles are one of the most infectious diseases in the world, According to the World Health OrganizationMuch more than Covid. In particular, it can be very dangerous for infants and children under 5 years of age who do not complete the vaccine series. Infectious particles can be hung for up to two hours on the air and surfaces. People with virus can spread up to four days before they start to show symptoms.

“If we have a measles for Montana and especially if it comes to a community with low vaccination, we will see that it spreads like a very weekly or even a very monthly period. “Thus, a person who has not been vaccinated can only get sick by entering the house where only a school, store or someone who has recently been involved in measles.”

Infection, encephalitis, pneumonia, deafness, blindness and death may have short -term and long -term consequences for people who cannot be overcome. State and Community Health departments advertise free MMR vaccines in clinics throughout the state for anyone who needs them.

Although HB 364 aims to increase data collection, other vaccine measures in the state legislature are progressing to facilitate the exemption from the standard vaccines required to participate in schools or child care centers.

A recent version SB 474It will create the exemption of “informed consent ğı that a parent or a parent, which has been changed several times without specifying a reason for children of school age.

The supporters of the bill said that some families are struggling to get exemption from religious beliefs or medical reasons, and that they want a wider flexibility to give up the necessary vaccines against measles and other infectious diseases such as Pertussis. According to Montana’s latest report, approximately 3% of children in public schools had religious or medical exemption from the 2018-19 academic year.

The SB 474 would also hit another section that allowed schools and day care to be accepted to children because they were not vaccinated, an exemption aimed at protecting people who were not included in the 2021 law. The deputy, who sponsored the current draft law, called carving for schools, cares about the “deviation ında in the Montana law.

“There is no reason for them to discriminate according to the vaccine status,” You. Daniel Emrich He said during the March discussion on the Senate floor.

Emrich and others made the bill to make an individual decision around the vaccines, depending on how well a parent knew their children.

“Vaccines are very effective, Emir Emiric said. “If you are worried about unvaccinated children, you have an option to get a vaccination to protect your child the way you want. This invoice is really about the election.”

During the discussion, the opponents of the bill claimed that many members of the community, including those who could not be vaccinated due to age or medical problems, were at more risk.

Senator Cora NeumannA democrat representing Bozeman, including children, said that the Montanans, including children, act as “shields karşı against infectious diseases such as measles and whooping. However, if the vaccination rates continue to decrease, Neumann said that the protection would only weaken.

“We saw a child died of measles [in Texas]. It will continue and will be scary. It will be deadly, Neum Neumann said. It sounds like a luxury right now. We can choose. It won’t happen if we continue on this road. “

The bill passed the State Senate with 28-21 votes. Now it’s being evaluated at home.