Misinformation is exacerbating a growing public health crisis in the United States, where the country is currently battling its most severe measles outbreak in over a decade, according to a new survey released by KFF Health News.
As of April 17, a total of 800 confirmed measles cases had been reported by 25 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Most cases are centered in West Texas, where the outbreak has already claimed the lives of two unvaccinated and otherwise healthy school-aged children. Meanwhile, an unvaccinated adult has died in New Mexico.
"The most alarming thing about the survey is that we're seeing an uptick in the share of people who have heard these claims," said Ashley Kirzinger, associate director of KFF's Public Opinion and Survey Research Program.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has shown limited urgency in addressing the outbreak. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called measles outbreaks "not unusual" while failing to emphasize vaccination in his public statements.
The survey also revealed stark partisan divides in awareness and beliefs about measles. About two-thirds of Republican-leaning parents were unaware of the current increase in measles cases, while two-thirds of Democratic-leaning parents were informed about the situation.
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