Local Health Officials Work To Educate About Immunizations

3/7/19 – 5:05 A.M.

A measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest has local health officials concerned. Because of that, they’re working to make sure people get educated about the importance of vaccinations. Public health nurse Tyler Alt says measles is highly contagious.

Dr. Kevin Johnson is a pediatric hospitalist at Blanchard Valley Hospital. He says at one point they considered measles eradicated from the U.S. Johnson says misinformation about vaccinations has seen some people decide to skip them, leading to outbreaks.

A debunked study that linked vaccinations to autism caused some people to question vaccines. The author of the study later lost his license in the United Kingdom. Johnson says misinformation continues to spread on social media, although Pinterest has taken steps to remove anti-vaccine content.

MORE: Details on how immunizations work to protect the community.