In Amish country, nurses go door to door to stop deadly spread of measles
Public health nurses in Pennsylvania are going door-to-door to vaccinate Amish communities against measles amid the deadliest outbreak the US has seen since 1992. Despite some initial vaccine hesitancy and cultural barriers, nurses have successfully built trust and administered doses in rural homes.
Why it matters
Sheds light on public health intervention strategies in insular communities experiencing severe vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Pennsylvania is home to thousands of Amish, who avoid many aspects of modern life
For the past few months, nurse Dale Weiser has been making unexpected home visits.
As the state battles the deadliest measles outbreak in recent history, the clinical supervisor drives 30 miles (48.3km), sometimes daily, to a rural corner of Pennsylvania where many Amish people live.
Walking into strangers' homes, Weiser says she tries her best to be respectful and non-intrusive as she vaccinates dozens of family members against the measles, sometimes around the kitchen table.
"A lot of people that I encounter, they don't have health insurance. They don't have a lot of interaction with the health system, and they just haven't seen the need to get these vaccines," said Weiser, who works for the Chester County Health Department.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in