336452
Addressing the 2015 Measles Outbreak: The Legal Framework
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
: 12:45 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Montrece Ransom, JD, MPH,
Public Health Law Program - Office for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Aila Hoss, JD,
Public Health Law Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Matthew Penn, JD,
Office of State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Lauren Dunning, JD, MPH,
Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
The United States experienced a record number of measles cases during 2014, with 644 cases from 27 states reported to CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. From January 1 to February 13, 2015, 141 people from 17 states and Washington DC were reported to have measles, a highly contagious respiratory virus which was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. Most of these cases are part of a large, ongoing outbreak linked to an amusement park in California. On January 23, 2015, CDC issued a Health Advisory Notice to notify public health departments and healthcare facilities about this multi-state outbreak and to provide guidance for healthcare providers nationwide. Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease, but many parents choose to opt-out of immunizing their children. It is important for public health and health care legal counsel, and their clients, to consider the legal issues related to addressing the measles outbreak. This session will be focused on the role of law in addressing the 2015 measles outbreak and will 1) describe the current vaccination recommendations, 2) provide an overview of state vaccination laws and exemptions, and 3) highlight lessons learned by LA County in implementing legal disease control measures. This is a proposal for a panel presentation or a workshop session featuring a moderator and three speakers.
Learning Areas:
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Learning Objectives:
Describe the current vaccination recommendations
Discuss state vaccine laws and exemptions
Describe state temporary exclusion laws related to unvaccinated students
Identify lessons learned by LA County in implementing legal disease control measures
Keyword(s): Law
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Currently serve as Team Lead for Public Health Law Training and Workforce Development, Public Health Law Program, CDC. My primary focus is on developing and delivering training aimed at increasing the capacity of public health practitioners to understand and use law to advance public health goals. I have presented, taught courses, and published on a broad range of topics including public health emergency law, tribal public health law, careers in public health, and environmental law.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
