Is the Measles Panic Warranted?

Officials in New York’s Rockland County declared a state of emergency after yet another measles outbreak. In Brooklyn, more cases of measles have cropped up over the last several months as well. Both places are home to a tight-knit Orthodox Jewish population that has become increasingly skeptical of vaccinations. Why is this particular community so susceptible to the disease? And how are they getting their information about vaccines? Rockland County has gone so far as to bar unvaccinated children from public places. So, is this the right approach? And is all this news coverage just making hysteria worse?

Guests: Gwynne Hogan, health reporter at WNYC Dan Engber, Slate’s science columnist

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Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Anna Martin.

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