Medical transport helicopter now stationed at city airport

Aiming to improve emergency response time, Baptist Health has joined Life Flight to station a medical transport helicopter at Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport. The placement of the Life Flight helicopter at the airport will extend access to life-saving care throughout Northeast Florida, according to Baptist Health officials.

“Nassau County patients can face longer transport distances and more limited access to specialty-care facilities,” says Baptist Nassau Hospital President Tara Beth Anderson. “In these situations, rapid air transport can make a meaningful difference in outcomes. This allows us to better serve our community when every minute counts.”

The move resulted from analysis of data on emergency medical services in the region. Baptist Health and Life Flight continuously monitor patient needs, call patterns and transport demands across the region to ensure aircraft are positioned where they can provide the greatest benefit, according to Anderson.

The medical transport helicopter now stationed in Fernandina Beach was relocated from Jacksonville International Airport. The community where the helicopter was previously based continues to have excellent access to emergency services, supported by reliable ground transport and proximity to tertiary care centers, according to Baptist Health officials.

“Our goal is to place resources where they can make the largest impact, while ensuring all communities remain supported through an integrated emergency response network,” says Parker Brigance, director of emergency services for Baptist Health. “Life Flight will continue to evaluate its deployment strategy and adjust as needed to meet the evolving needs of the people we serve.”

Pediatrics Advocates Protest Florida Vaccine Legislation

Pediatricians around Florida rallied last week in Tallahassee to oppose proposed legislation that would expand non-medical vaccine exemptions in the state. Marking Children’s Week in the state capitol, the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics traveled to Tallahassee to talk with families, lawmakers, educators and other stakeholders about children’s health issues.

AAP representatives detailed the dangers of expanding non-medical vaccine exemptions to Florida’s school entry requirements. The state’s kindergarten vaccination rate of less than 89% is significantly below the 95% threshold needed to achieve widespread community immunity from the most infectious diseases. Adding additional non-medical exemptions to school vaccine requirements risks the return of dangerous and preventable diseases like measles, polio, and whooping cough, the pediatricians said.

 “As pediatricians, our priority is to work with families to help them keep their children healthy,” says Dr. Rana Alissa, the AAP Florida chapter president. “Decades of scientific research confirms that vaccines are one of the most effective tools for preventing serious diseases. Schools are tight-knit networks of children, educators and families, making it easy for contagious diseases to spread. Parents should be able to send their kids to school without fear that their child may contract a dangerous disease — and kids deserve to go to school to learn and play with their classmates and friends.” 

Measles Outbreak in Florida Raises Concerns

The vaccine legislation controversy coincides with a large measles outbreak at a private college in southwest Florida. With about 40 cases, the outbreak at Ave Maria University in Collier County is one of the largest measles outbreaks on college campuses nationwide.

Some of the Ave Maria University cases involve students who were previously vaccinated. The two-dose measles vaccination is about 97% effective in preventing illness and remains the best way to avoid becoming sick with the highly contagious disease, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, even vaccinated individuals can develop measles. Rates of vaccination against measles have been falling in the United States for several years.

Officials for the Florida Health Department published information on its website indicating the department was aware of the outbreak and monitoring the situation. The department is led by Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, who has expressed doubt about the usefulness of certain vaccines. The Department of Health website provides information on diagnosis and treatment of measles but offers little information about the benefits and efficacy of vaccination. The website encourages individuals who are “interested in preventive options” to contact the Department of Health-Collier County.

Officials also note that to provide protection from measles, the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) should be given within 72 hours of exposure.

Medical Group Creates an Independent Source for Vaccination Advice

Concern over the federal government’s shifting advice on a range of vaccination practices has led the American Medical Association to take the unprecedented step of creating a separate, independent vaccine review process to serve Americans.

Under Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., federal vaccine policy has shifted to downplay the use of some vaccines — such as rotavirus, hepatitis A and hepatitis B — while creating doubts about the safety of other vaccines, including COVID vaccines. Last year, Kennedy fired most members of the nonpartisan Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and replaced them with a board predominated by people who have expressed skepticism about the value of many vaccines.

In response, the AMA and the Vaccine Integrity Project, based at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, will convene leading medical professional societies as well as public health and health care organizations to guide vaccination policy.

The goal of this work is to ensure a deliberative, evidence-driven approach to produce the data necessary to understand the risks and benefits of vaccine policy decisions for all populations — the approach traditionally used by the federal government, according to project leaders. ACIP, they said, has essentially “collapsed.”

“Respiratory viruses hospitalize and kill tens of thousands of Americans every year, and vaccine decisions must be guided by facts, not politics or ideology,” says Dr. Michael Osterholm, CIDRAP director and a nationally recognized authority on vaccine science. “Our goal is to build on our efforts to restore peace of mind for clinicians and patients by ensuring that experts are continuously evaluating vaccine safety and effectiveness using transparent, evidence-based methods.”

Reviews and briefs produced by the Vaccine Integrity Project will be disseminated to existing medical societies.

Participants in the evidence review process will disclose relevant conflicts of interest, and the Vaccine Integrity Project’s review work will be independently funded through philanthropy.

Information can be found on the Vaccine Integrity Project website.