How a Vaccine-Skeptical California County Stopped a Measles Outbreak


Facing a measles outbreak in a vaccine-hesitant community, Shasta County public health officials contained the spread by routing their response through trusted local intermediaries, including school principals, church leaders and clinic managers, rather than just relying on government messaging. The approach combined rapid contact tracing with a non-judgmental communication strategy designed to work with, rather than against, residents skeptical of government authority. Within two and a half months, the outbreak was declared over, with only nine confirmed cases total.

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