HOUSTON — A new global report warns of an alarming surge in childhood measles cases.
Ninety eight countries reported a rise in cases last year. Here in the U.S., nearly 200 cases have been reported in five states, mostly among children who were not vaccinated.
Now, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is calling out the small, but loud anti-vaxxer movement on social media.
Lee says while YouTube has taken measures to stop the spread of conspiracy theories about vaccinations, searches on Twitter, Facebook and even Amazon turn up prominent anti-vaxxer results.
"That is why I intend to introduce legislation that will ask technology companies to review content as it relates to the issue of documented science, ensure that documented science, informational books, periodicals, are listed prominently, and that these companies check to maintain that focus is on materials dealing with documented peer reviews, scientific journals, acknowledge that the review by these companies is based on the need to intervene against a potential national health crisis." she said.
Texas has more than 56,000 children with non-medical exemptions for "reasons of conscience." A decade ago that number was at 10,000.
And recent legislative efforts to eliminate the exemption failed after pressure from anti-vaxxers.