Turnout for Free Measles Vaccinations Falls Short

County health officials said the turnout was disappointing Saturday for a series of free measles vaccinations despite a publicity blitz aimed at the Latino community, hardest hit by the outbreak of the deadly disease.

About 1,000 people were inoculated at 18 sites, far short of the 8,000 the Los Angeles County Medical Assn. had hoped to attract.

The worst measles epidemic in two decades is sweeping the state. Spanish-speaking populations have been particularly vulnerable to the disease. Of the 2,400 measles cases reported in Los Angeles County during the first four months of this year, 76% involve Latinos.

But county efforts to vaccinate large numbers of Latinos and other minority groups have fallen short, and Saturday was apparently no different. At many of the vaccination sites, there were more doctors than patients, said Marie Kuffner, chairwoman of the county medical association’s measles immunization task force.

“It is disappointing because we advertised heavily on Spanish-language radio and TV,” Kuffner said. “Thousands of letters were sent in some areas, and all the schools were notified. We need to reach Hispanics, it is the group that is most at risk.”

Recognizing the seriousness of the epidemic, Kuffner said the association organized Saturday’s immunization program at sites primarily in South-Central and East Los Angeles. In recent months, county health officials have offered similar free or low-cost vaccinations at established clinics and agencies, but with mixed results.

To improve the chances of a big turnout Saturday, Kuffner said the association selected churches and fast-food restaurants to vaccinate people, believing that the familiar surroundings of a neighborhood landmark or business would ease any fears about coming forward and seeking help.

“In some cases, those we are trying to reach are undocumented or illegally living here,” Kuffner said outside a Carl’s Jr. restaurant at the corner of 6th and Virgil streets. “They are mindful of any authority and rarely venture beyond their own neighborhoods. So we wanted to take the program to them.”

But only two people were in line waiting for the vaccine as Kuffner spoke. A handful of physicians--more than 200 doctors and medical association staff members volunteered at the various locations--busied themselves by straightening stacks of patient releases and information forms.

“This is a shame,” Kuffner said. “The line should be around the block. This is unfortunate.”

Measles has claimed at least 30 lives in California in the first four months of this year, compared to 20 during all of 1989. Seven of those deaths have been in Los Angeles County, where the number of reported measles cases for the first four months of 1990 is already double the total for all of last year.

Children are especially susceptible to the disease. An estimated 375,000 California children ages 1 to 4 are not immunized against measles, and in some minority neighborhoods as many as 70% of young children have not been inoculated, Kuffner said.

Language barriers and cultural differences have made it difficult to reach immigrant groups about the problem. In many cases, officials say, parents of non-immunized children are natives of other countries where childhood immunizations are unheard of.