It's Back - the Measles!

For more than two decades, measles had been eliminated in the US. Now conspiracy theories and misinformation are causing a comeback.  Part of why this is such a big problem is that measles is among the most contagious viruses known. If an infected child walks into a classroom with ten unvaccinated kids, nine of them will get it.  

Measles infects the respiratory tract and is spread by coughs, sneezes, and even breathing!  It spreads through the body causing fevers, a runny nose, coughs, pink eye, tiny white spots in the mouth and a rash that starts in the face and spreads through the body.  Complications include blindness, encephalitis which is a brain infection that can cause brain damage and death, severe diarrhea, ear infections and deafness, and severe breathing problems.  

There’s no cure, but there is a very safe and effective vaccine called the MMR for Measles, Mumps and Rubella and the MMRV vaccine that also protects against chickenpox.  One dose is ninety three percent effective and ninety seven percent after a second dose.  The MMR vaccine and other vaccines cannot cause autism.   

Before the vaccine, measles outbreaks occurred every two to three years killing more than 2.5 million people a year. To prevent an epidemic, 95 percent of the community needs to be vaccinated.  But parts of the US have fallen below that. In 2019, nearly 1,300 people in 31 states were infected.  We can choose not to move backwards. Get vaccinated.