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SD doctors on measles, removal of CDC vaccine experts
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – The South Dakota State Medical Association is speaking out against the recent removal of the entire advisory committee for vaccinations at the Center for Disease Control. This comes at the same time measles cases are being seen in South Dakota.
This week, all 17 immunization experts who advise the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were removed from their positions.
South Dakota State Medical Association president, Dr. Keith Hansen, says he wasn't sure why when he heard the news.
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'To me, it didn't make a lot of sense. Why would you fire all of these very well-respected, intelligent individuals who spend all this time and effort to come up with these recommendations?' Hansen said.
In response to the change, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he's already tapped their replacements.
'We're going to bring people on to the ACIP Panel, not anti-vaxxers, we're bringing people on who are credentialed scientists or highly credentialed physicians who are going to do evidence-based medicine,' RFK Jr. said.
This month South Dakota saw it's second case of measles this year, both on the west side of the state. It's something Hansen says can be preventable by vaccines.
'Measles is a very highly contagious disease. So our best battle is for individuals to get the vaccine and to try to get as many people vaccinated as we can.' Hansen said. 'So that we maximize herd immunity and also the individual's immunity, and especially for our real young kids.'Monument Health's chief of staff, Dr. Michael Huot in Rapid City says the MMR vaccine is still used today since approved by the FDA in 1971.
'The reason we still use treatments that are that old is because they're extremely effective and extremely safe. So, of vaccinations that MMR has had hundreds of millions of people vaccinated,' Huot said.
With over 100,000 followers on TikTok, Huot hopes to continue spreading medical knowledge to those in his community and beyond.
'It also kind of dispels a lot of misinformation out there. I think it's a way for people to connect with somebody locally,' Huot said.
As of Wednesday, eight new vaccine members have been appointed to the panel by RFK Jr.
Click here for more info about measles symptoms.
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