DESIREE RIOS / NEW YORK TIMES
A 50-year-old measles patient extends an arm to display symptoms of the disease in Seminole, Texas, on Feb. 24.
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I am at a loss at understanding the current commotion about measles. Children are contracting measles all over, even in Hawaii. Children are dying and the country is still at a loss as to what to do. Should we be asking parents or religious institutions whether their respective children or parishioners can be immunized or left to die? No. This is a national epidemic and needs to be eliminated now.
It can be done. I grew up in Germany with top-notch, free health care. Some of the top pharmaceutical producers are based there. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was developed in Germany.
Immunization was compulsory nationwide in Germany early on. Every year, every student lined up to be inoculated. Everybody. No outside choice. That simply did not exist. Measles was successfully eliminated. Maybe the president can do the same here by issuing an executive order.
Gerhard Hamm
Nuuanu
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