New Orleans hospitals are taking what they call “proactive steps” to retrain healthcare workers, many of whom have never seen a case of measles in their careers, due to the disease’s long absence from the American landscape.
Dr. Mark Kline, chief medical officer at Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, recalls the last time he saw a measles patient in the U.S.: 1989. “It’s been a long time since I saw a child with measles here,” he said, underscoring the need for renewed vigilance.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that the United States is now facing its highest measles case count in years—despite the disease being declared eliminated in 2000. Neighboring states like Texas are already dealing with outbreaks, and Louisiana is now bracing for further spread.
Medical experts warn that declining vaccination rates are largely to blame for measles’ resurgence. “Most of our healthcare providers are too young to have ever personally seen a case of measles,” Dr. Kline noted. “Vaccination rates have declined, and measles is sort of the canary in the coal mine.”
This resurgence highlights the dangerous consequences of neglecting childhood immunizations and ignoring the proven science behind vaccine effectiveness. For decades, vaccines have been a key pillar of public health, protecting not just individuals, but communities at large. As liberal policies increasingly blur the lines of medical accountability and parental rights, the return of a once-defeated disease like measles serves as a sobering reminder of what’s at stake when common-sense health measures are cast aside.
Hospitals in New Orleans, including Manning Family and Ochsner Health, are now retraining healthcare workers to recognize early symptoms and respond swiftly—doing what they can to fill the gap left by eroding public health standards.
