Samoa shutting down government to try to stop deadly measles outbreak

[Tanj]

Wow.

With a population of 200,000, Samoa has fewer people than Geelong or Hobart. So a significant proportion of the population has been affected. More than one in five Samoan babies aged six to 11 months have contracted measles during this outbreak, and more than one in 150 babies in this age group have died.

Nice analogy. Now hands up all those reading this that know what a Geelong is.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Samoa has lifted a six-week state of emergency, which was put in place amid a measles epidemic that killed 81 people and infected more than 5,600.

Infection rates slowed earlier this month after a vaccination drive pushed immunisation rates towards 95%.

Prominent anti-vaxxer Edwin Tamasese was arrested in Samoa earlier this month and charged with incitement against a government order.

Mr Tamamese had posted false theories about measles on Facebook, and instead promoted the use of ineffective remedies to treat the deadly illness - such as using papaya leaf extract and vitamin C.

He also called the government's vaccination programme "the greatest crime against our people".

 

[JackRT]

Perhaps 81 counts of murder would be appropriate.