Amid Measles Outbreak FL Surgeon General Contradicts Health Guidelines

FLORIDA — Florida surgeon general Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo is under fire after being accused of not encouraging vaccination amid a measles outbreak at a Broward County elementary school.

Ladapo sent parents a letter Tuesday informing them "a cluster of measles cases" plagued Manatee Bay Elementary, where the Washington Post reported six cases of the viral infection have been confirmed.

In the letter, Ladapo noted it is common for unvaccinated people or those with no history of prior infection to remain home for up to 21 days. He said the virus can be transmitted in this time period.

However, he moves on to say the Florida Department of Public Health is placing the choice of school attendance in the hands of parents and guardians.

" ... due to the high immunity rate in the community, as well as the burden on families and educational cost of healthy children missing school, DOH is deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance. This recommendation may change as epidemiological investigations continue," Ladapo said in the letter.

"Broward County School District is prepared to provide continuous learning to all children at Manatee Bay Elementary School whose parents/guardians choose to keep them at home. If someone in your household contracts measles, all members of the household should consider themselves exposed and monitor symptoms."

Ladapo said it is usually advised that students stay home until the end of the infectious period, which is currently March 7. This date can change.

A third-grader was the most recent measles case reported to the Florida Department of Health in Broward County.

Six people have been diagnosed with measles in the outbreak at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, NBC News reported.

Measles is spread through the air by breathing, coughing, or sneezing. It can be transmitted four days before the rash becomes visible to four days after the rash appears. The symptoms of measles generally begin approximately 8 to 14 days, after a person is exposed to someone with measles, with a range of 7 to 21 days.

An infectious disease expert at Florida International University advises vaccination against the measles virus.

“The letter doesn’t explicitly say we need to get more people vaccinated, and that is a key point that families need to know,” Dr. Aileen Marty told NBC News Miami.

Ladapo has already been in the spotlight after reportedly calling for the end of COVID-19 vaccine use, the Washington Post said.