Florida's surgeon general is facing criticism for his response to a measles outbreak at Manatee Bay Elementary School near Fort Lauderdale. The outbreak, which affected six students, prompted the surgeon general to send a letter to parents of unvaccinated children, stating that it was their choice whether their students attended class, contrary to federal guidelines calling for mandatory exclusion.
The letter acknowledged the recommendation that unvaccinated students be kept home for three weeks during a measles outbreak due to the high likelihood of infection. However, the state health department decided not to mandate this exclusion, citing the high immunity rate in the community and the burden on families and educational costs of healthy children missing school.
