Ron DeSantis keeps screwing over the people of Florida.  Besides having to deal with intentionally ignorant GOP policy as well as the normal disaster like hurricanes and Matt Gaetz, Floridians must now deal with a spreading measles outbreak caused, most experts agree, by Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, the anti-vax, pandemic-denying California transplant recruited by DeSantis for his anti-establishment, anti-science views.

Per NBC News, Ladapo sent a letter to elementary school students around the state on Tuesday informing them they get to decide if they think their child is contagious after a measles diagnosis, and the parent gets choose to send their children to school.  “Due to the high immunity rate in the community, as well as the burden on families and educational cost of healthy children missing school, DOH is deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance.”

So far this year, there have been 35 reported cases of measles in the United States, a low number because people generally listen to intelligent medical professionals, not politicians in white coats.  Florida now has seven active cases, including a five-year-old child.  “Measles is the most infectious pathogen in humans that we know of,” said Kimberlin. “It’s like a heat-seeking missile. It will find the people who are not immune, and they’re going to get sick,” said Dr. David Kimberlin, co-director of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.