OPERATION RELIEF FOR SAMOA:
Dr. Richard Pan and Samoan Community Leaders Seek Donations for those Impacted by Measles Outbreak in Samoa
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Shannan Velayas (PAN) (916) 271-2867
Jessie Uperesa (Samoan Community) (650) 291-9249
December 6, 2019
SACRAMENTO, CA – Dr. Richard Pan, a pediatrician, State Senator and author of Senate Bill 276 (2019) and Senate Bill 277 (2015) is working with leaders in the Samoan community to bring much needed supplies to the small country of Samoa as health officials there race to contain a measles outbreak that has resulted in over 63 deaths so far.
Overall, there have been 4,000 cases of measles in Samoa, which is 2 percent of the country’s entire population. Mainly children under four years old have been impacted.
“The measles outbreak in Samoa is part of a global resurgences of this deadly disease,” said Senator Richard Pan. “The island nation has been hit hard because it has been a target of misinformation and we are hoping the community will respond by providing much-needed supplies that officials need to stop measles from spreading and prevent further needless suffering.”
This year, Dr. Pan successfully authored SB 276 to strengthen oversight of the medical exemption process and combat the proliferation of fraudulent medical exemptions, offering greater protection to children at school and to their communities.
Officials in Samoa have closed schools, sent out mobile clinics and sought to raise awareness of much-needed vaccines. Antivaxxers have targeted Samoa and Samoan communities in the United States, spreading misinformation about vaccines. The hesitation to vaccinate on the part of a growing number of parents stems from misinformation such as the now retracted 1998 study that falsified data to purport a link between autism and the measles vaccine. The study was authored by Andrew Wakefield who was later found to be lying. Also, numerous subsequent studies worldwide involving hundreds of thousands of children have proved that vaccines are safe and do not cause autism.
In Sacramento, California you can drop off supplies off at: Cornerstone Samoan Assembly of God at 3910 Marysville Blvd. Sacramento Ca 95838
In Pittsburg, California you can drop supplies off at: Lighthouse Samoan AG Church at 1210 Stoneman Ave. Pittsburg Ca 94565.
The last day to drop off supplies is December 15, 2019.
The community is asking for these supplies:
Sanitizer wipes
Gloves
Disposable medical facemasks
Disposable sheets
Scrubs
First Aid items (band aids, gauze, etc.)
Baby items (diapers, shampoo, soap, etc.)
Vitamins
Ibuprofen and Tylenol (children and adult)
Tents & canopies
Non perishable food items and water.
Clothes
Towels
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