measles

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz called for Dr. Joseph Ladapo to resign or be terminated over his refusal to declare a public health emergency over the Broward County outbreak.

The highly contagious disease was reported by someone 20 to 24 years old in Polk. It's unknown if it's connected to a school outbreak in Broward, where a case involving a child under 5 was confirmed.

Two more cases - one confirmed and one probable - were reported after an outbreak of six infections at a Weston elementary school. The outbreak is raising questions about the highly contagious, viral respiratory infection.

In the wake of measles cases at a Broward school, Florida's surgeon general writes that the Department of Health “is deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance” without urging the need for MMR vaccinations.

The county schools superintendent says 33 of 1,067 Manatee Bay Elementary students did not have the MMR vaccine "for various reasons."

So far, it’s not known whether the students who acquired the highly contagious virus at Manatee Bay Elementary were immunized with the two-dose MMR vaccine.

The health department is looking into five cases of the highly contagious disease at Manatee Bay Elementary in Weston and hoping to identify contacts at risk of transmission.

Measles deaths globally spiked by more than 40% last year and cases rose after vaccination levels dramatically dropped during the pandemic, leading health agencies said.

The cases are mostly linked to international travel. And because Florida is a major tourism and travel hub, health officials are imploring adults to ensure their kids receive the two-dose vaccination.

These illnesses are among the recent health care headlines. Our panel of guests takes a closer look at them and other topics in the news.