Some Pennsylvania Amish and Mennonite families are seeking measles shots
More Amish and Mennonite families in Pennsylvania are seeking MMR vaccination as measles spreads, reports say. La Voce di New York reports more than 1,350 confirmed cases this year and five deaths, including three in Lancaster County, describing it as the worst U.S. outbreak in 35 years. Vaccine attitudes vary among Plain communities.
More context
Some Amish and Mennonite families in Pennsylvania are reconsidering vaccination as measles spreads in the state, with growing numbers seeking MMR shots. Lancaster County, home to the country’s largest Amish population, is the epicenter of what the Associated Press describes as the nation’s worst measles outbreak in 35 years. La Voce di New York reported more than 1,350 confirmed cases this year and five deaths, three in Lancaster County. Local providers have administered more than 450 vaccine doses to members of traditional communities and moved up infant vaccination schedules in the highest-risk areas. Some families are receiving shots through mobile clinics operated by Union Community Care. Amish and Mennonite communities regularly share markets and commercial spaces with the wider population. Lancaster County Commissioner Alice Yoder said public officials should unite behind the message that the vaccine is safe and effective.
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Verifier’s note
State College and VINnews reproduce AP reporting that Amish and Mennonite communities are showing more openness to vaccination amid the outbreak. La Voce di New York independently reports that more Amish and Mennonite families are seeking vaccination.