In Florida, vaccine rates are going down and measles cases are going up.

The first disease to come back is measles because it is far and away the most

contagious of the vaccine preventable diseases. It's Monday, March 4th and you're

listening to Science Friday. day.

I'm Cyfry producer Rasha Iridi.

Back in the year 2000, measles was declared eliminated from the US,

meaning it wasn't constantly present anymore, but cases still pop up every now and then.

According to the CDC, as of today, 16 states have reported 41 measles cases this year alone and in February a

measles outbreak began at an elementary school in Broward County in

southern Florida so far Broward County has nine cases out of 10 for the whole state. Here's Ira Flido.

You know, measles is one of the most infectious diseases in the world, and it has a tried and true vaccine called MMR for measles, mumps and

rubella that saves lives and kids usually get the vaccine early in life. Well not so much it appears. Let's take Florida. Surgeon

General Dr Joseph Lattepo has been criticized for how he's handling the

outbreak, for example, by not explicitly encouraging parents to get their kids vaccinated.

So how did Florida get to this point and is it a reflection of a broader public health crisis? Joining me to talk about this are my guest, Dr.

R. R. R. R. Alyssa, Pediatrician, Vice President of Florida Chapter of the American

Academy of Pediatrics Associate Professor at the University of Florida in Jacksonville.

Welcome to Science Friday.

Thank you, Arna.

Thank you for having me.

And Dr. Paul Offett, Pediatrician and Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

Welcome back to Science Friday, Dr. Moffitt.

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