Clark County’s 2019 Measles Outbreak: Vaccination Science, Controversy, and Public Trust

This one-hour webinar, which is part of the Hot Topics series, describes how Clark County Public Health in Washington State responded to a measles outbreak in a community with large populations of unvaccinated children.

Learning Objectives

• Describe how a local public health department identified and responded to a measles outbreak.
• Consider the role of community health care providers and systems in working with governmental public health partners.
• Understand the challenges and opportunities associated with addressing an outbreak, including data quality, communication, building community trust, and the role of policy in improving immunization rates.

Intended Audiences

Local, state, and tribal public health professionals; health care providers; elected officials and other policy-makers

Presenter

Alan Melnick, MD, MPH, Director and Health Officer, Clark County Public Health, Washington 

Discussion Questions

1. What challenges have you faced in implementing “social distancing” and other infection control strategies, and how did you address them?
2. What strategies should public health departments consider in working to increase vaccine confidence with hard-to-reach populations?

Resources

• Carlson A, Riethman M, Gastañaduy P, et al. Notes from the Field: Community Outbreak of Measles — Clark County, Washington, 2018–2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019;68:446–447.