U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer is making a push to the White House to help stop the spread of measles.
Schumer wants the federal Department of Health and Human Services to bring back funding for measles vaccine awareness.
He is also calling for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's infectious disease experts to be brought back onto the job. They were let go at the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term.
“The Trump administration has taken a wrecking ball to programs that keep New Yorkers safe from measles, and Erie County is paying the price. For eight years, Erie County has been measles-free, but just this month we've already seen two cases, with experts fearing more to come,” Schumer said. “That's because under Secretary Kennedy's leadership, the Trump administration has walked our country into the nation's largest surge of measles outbreaks in 33 years. Firing vaccine experts, gutting public health funding, and undermining vaccines isn't reform. It's reckless, radical, and rooted in conspiracy, not science. Today, I am here to launch a three-pronged push to get the Trump administration to bring back CDC experts, restore measles-related grants, and boost federal funding for public health programs so we can prevent more cases before the disease spreads.”
This all comes after two measles cases here in Erie County have been identified this month — the first the county has seen in nearly a decade.
“The fact that measles is back should serve as a wake up call to everyone to check their own immune status and be aware of those around us with compromised immune systems. This is a highly transmissible virus but we can all take steps to limit that transmission and protect ourselves,” said Deputy Erie County Executive Lisa M. Chimera.
