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SAMOA-HEALTH-MEASLES-EPIDEMIC-VACCINES-VIRUS
Samoan anti-vaxxer arrested over ‘killing spree’ comment
WELLINGTON, Dec 6, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Samoa warned it will not tolerate anti-
vaccine misinformation Friday after a prominent activist was arrested for
opposing a mass immunisation drive launched to contain a deadly measles
epidemic in the Pacific nation.
At least 63 people, most of them children, have died since the outbreak
began in mid-October and the country on Friday entered a second day of
lockdown as it administers compulsory vaccinations in a desperate bid to stop
the virus.
But Communications Minister Afamasaga Rico Tupai said anti-vaxxers
spreading conspiracy theories were hindering the unprecedented public health
mobilisation.
“The anti-vaxxers unfortunately have been slowing us down,” he told TVNZ.
“We’ve had children who have passed away after coming to the hospital as a
last resort and then we find out the anti-vaccine message has got to their
families and that’s why they’ve kept these kids at home,” he said.
He warned anti-vaxxers “don’t get in the way, don’t contribute to the
deaths”.
“We will advise police to act when we have no choice.” Attorney General
Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff added in a statement.
The government backed its tough rhetoric by arresting vocal anti-
vaccination campaigner Edwin Tamasese late Thursday and charging him with
incitement.
Officials said Tamasese had been warned about his activities previously but
posted a message to social media regarding the immunisation drive saying:
“I’ll be here to mop up your mess. Enjoy your killing spree.”
The government has additional powers after declaring a state of emergency
to deal with the measles crisis and the Samoa Observer reported that Tamasese
could face two years in jail.
It also said that US-based anti-vaxxers were swamping government websites
with material that Tupai described as “nonsense”.
He said the first day of the shutdown was a success, with more than 10,000
people, or five percent of the entire 200,000 population, receiving their
jabs.
All businesses and non-essential government services have closed and
residents have been told to obey a dawn-to-dusk curfew and display a red flag
outside their home if they are unvaccinated to alert mobile immunisation
teams.
Yet the infection continues to spread, with 140 new cases over the 24-hour
period, taking the total to 4,357, and the death toll climbing by one to 63,
55 of them aged four or under.
There are also 20 children critically ill in hospital.
Infants are the most vulnerable to measles, which typically causes a rash
and fever but can also lead to brain damage and death.
The outbreak has hit Samoa hard because its immunisation rate dropped to
about 30 percent after an incident last year involving the death of two
babies that anti-vaxxers incorrectly blamed on the medication.
The drastic action currently under way is aimed at lifting the rate to at
least 90 percent, which should help curb the current outbreak and stop future
epidemics.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0911 hrs