How Mass. Lawmakers Are Trying To Curb Low Vaccination "Hot Spots"

Also: updates on the vaping ban, early signs of progress for tay-sachs disease ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [View in Browser]( | [Donate [WBUR]]( [WBUR](  [WBUR]( October 26, 2019 Happy Saturday, The overall vaccination rate among Massachusetts kids is a healthy 96%, but there are clusters where it's far lower -- and perhaps even more concerning, the state doesn't have data from about 1 in 5 schools. With yet another Disneyland measles scare in the news lately, today's lead story looks at proposals in the legislature to address those low-vaccine clusters -- and signs of likely resistance to those proposals. Which reminds me: If you've been resisting the flu shot, the CDC chorus this year is that [October is the perfect time]( to get it... — Carey Goldberg, CommonHealth editor newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown url[Lawmakers Consider How To Curb 'Hot Spots' Of Low Vaccination Rates]( As states grapple with clusters where vaccination rates are low, Massachusetts lawmakers consider two options: eliminating exemptions on religious grounds and bolstering the whole vaccination system.   #%23%23[Twitter](   #%23%23[Facebook](    [Early Report: Baby Treated With Gene Therapy For Deadly Tay-Sachs Disease Appears To Stabilize]( Tay-Sachs is a fatal disorder that tends to affect babies of Eastern-European Jewish ancestry. They usually seem to develop normally for the first few months, but as the disease kills off their nerve cells, they lose the ability to move or breathe on their own.  [Commentary: How Forceps Permanently Changed The Way Humans Are Born]( Once ubiquitous, the skill to use forceps is now rare. Still, their introduction into birthing rooms permanently changed the way humans are born, writes Neel Shah, of the Harvard Medical School.  Support the news [Cambridge-Based Biogen Says It Will Seek Approval Of Alzheimer's Drug]( The announcement was a surprise because the company earlier this year stopped two studies of the drug when partial results suggested it was not likely to be successful. The company now says a new analysis suggests that the drug helped reduce a decline of thinking skills at the highest dose.  [Judge Rejects Baker's Appeal Of Ruling On Mass. Temporary Vape Ban]( Baker's office released a statement about the decision Thursday, writing that the administration is working with Attorney General Maura Healey's office "to ensure the ban remains in place." Worth A Read It's an annual rite of fall in Massachusetts: The high-powered "cost trend" hearings put on by the Health Policy Commission, the body charged with "bending the curve" of the state's ever-rising medical spending. Bruce Mohl at Commonwealth Magazine does a superb job of capturing not just the wonkery but the emotion -- to wit, frustration at how inexorably costs rise no matter which measures are tried -- in [this piece](. He quotes Harvard health economist David Cutler on patients: "They can’t afford medical care and they can’t get access to it.” A MESSAGE FROM WBUR CITYSPACE [Nov. 14: A Conversation On The Wounds Of The War On Terror]( Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist and Marine veteran C. J. Chivers will moderate a conversation on the wounds of war with - Dr. Alexis Iaccarino, director of brain health services for Home Base, an organization in Boston that provides free mental health care to veterans - Capt. Gregory Galeazzi, an Army veteran and Harvard medical school student who was hit by an I.E.D. in Afghanistan and lost both of his legs and part of his right arm - Dr. Dave Lounsbury, a retired Army doctor and editor of “War Surgery in Afghanistan and Iraq” and “Emergency War Surgery” [Buy your tickets ($5-$20) here.]( 2.5% the national vaccine exemption rate, according to the [CDC]( From the Archives [2018: Why Sex-Ed Classes Should Use Steamy Scenes From 'Outlander' To Teach Consent]( "Claire and Jamie have chemistry on the screen that feels so authentic and relatable, it might be exactly the media experience we need to break the common misconception that consent isn't sexy."      😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news [WBUR]( [WBUR]  [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [Stop getting this newsletter by updating your preferences.]( I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters](. Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2019 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved. You signed up for this newsletter at wbur.org. Our mailing address is: WBUR-FM 890 Commonwealth AveBoston, MA 02215-1205 [Add us to your address book](