Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs The outbreak of measles has made Pamela Wurst Vetrini cast her mind back to the early ’90s, when there was an epidemic.She praises parents and kids of that era for how they “handled” the highly contagious viral illness, which is characterized by fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a distinctive rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.Vetrini recently went viral on Instagram, gathering almost 1 million views by sharing a story (@pamelawurstvetrini) about an outbreak at her school that led to all pupils receiving another shot from age six to seven.The 41-year-old, who lives in Alexandria, Virginia, told Newsweek: “The very sad story of the child who died of measles in Texas inspired me to make the video.”
Two screenshots from the viral video showing the woman speak about what happened during an outbreak when she was six-years-old.
Two screenshots from the viral video showing the woman speak about what happened during an outbreak when she was six-years-old.
Instagram/@pamelawurstvetrini
As of March 13, 2025, a total of 301 confirmed measles cases had been reported by 15 jurisdictions: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Washington. The Texas Department of State Health Services reports that there was one fatality in a school-aged child who lived in the outbreak area. The child was not vaccinated and had no known underlying conditions.During the video, Vetrini recalls a boy who contracted measles while in kindergarten and has put Newsweek in touch with him. Now aged 41, he has requested to remain anonymous.He told Newsweek that he was vaccinated and initially thought he had contracted chickenpox for a second time.”I was so young, but I remember waking up with a very sore and swollen throat and looking in the mirror, noticing my visibly irritated skin. Then we found out that I had a very high fever. I remember oatmeal baths and being examined by various doctors,” he said.Vetrini told her followers about this ordeal and how the “outbreak [was] averted” because the pupils lined up and received a measles shot. She praises the fact that there was “no drama, no complaining, [and] no hysterics.”In October 2024, the CDC revealed that measles vaccination rates among U.S. kindergarteners had dropped slightly for the 2023–24 school year, falling below 93 percent, compared to 95 percent in 2019–20. This means fewer kids are fully protected. At the same time, the number of families claiming vaccine exemptions had gone up, reaching 3.3 percent, the highest in recent years.Vetrini told Newsweek: “It makes me so sad that we, as a society, don’t have a shared truth and that we don’t feel a sense of responsibility to the community.”The ’90s were a simpler time when we trusted scientists, doctors, and experts and cared about our neighbors.”This was echoed by her school friend, who said: “Looking back on this, I now realize that vaccines and their related boosters possibly saved my life, prevented long-term health problems, and most likely stopped an outbreak in our community.”Public health should not be subjected to politics or pseudoscience.”A healthy community is a thriving community. And those within it can only get there if they all agree on what being healthy means and agree to follow the necessary steps to get there.”Vaccine development is one of the most important technological advancements in the history of humankind, and we would be fools to squander such a gift.”Is there a health issue that’s worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
