Editor’s Note:
A measles outbreak in the U.S. – traced to Disney Land park in California and now active in several U.S. states – has spawned a significant public debate about vaccines, hesitancy, parental responsibility, mandates, and the U.S. federal and state government’s role in assuring immunization against infectious diseases generally. This debate has generated assertions, refinements and retractions by politicians, pundits and public health officials over the last week. Please see Media Watch below to see a summary of this activity, which was still very active as we published this edition. Reactions to this activity has included statements of support for vaccines as a key preventive health measure, including the statement below by the American Osteopathic Association.

American Osteopathic Association Affirms Safety and Effectiveness of Vaccines
Feb 06, 2015
Amid continuing outbreaks of preventable illnesses, the American Osteopathic Association reiterated its support for CDC vaccination protocols and cited the importance of a fully vaccinated population on the public health of the nation….