Measles is making a comeback. In 2014, there were more than 600 reported cases of measles in the U.S., across 22 states, including 20 outbreaks (person to person transmission.)
What is measles?
Measles is a viral illness that is highly contagious. It causes a rash all over the body, high fever, cough and runny nose. It can even lead to pneumonia, encephalitis and sometimes death. Measles is spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or shares food or drinks. The measles virus can travel through the air. You can spread the virus to others from 4 days before the rash starts until 4 days after the rash appears. On a positive note, if you have had measles, you can’t get it again. Most people born before 1957 have had measles, and are immune to it.
Is there a vaccine?
There is an effective vaccine against measles (part of the MMR and MMRV vaccines routinely administered to children.) When the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, measles cases decreased immediately. Prior to the vaccine, hundreds of thousands of cases occurred annually, and caused hundreds of deaths. The vaccination program was such a success that in 2000, measles was declared eliminated in the U.S.
Why is measles coming back?
Over the last few years, the number of cases of measles has steadily risen. This is believed to be a direct result of rise in the number of unvaccinated people, and many cases have been linked to travel abroad. It is human nature that imminent and clear danger prompts action! Before 1963, measles was so prevalent that almost everyone was aware of its danger. The need for vaccination was obvious and easily understood. But with the success of vaccinations, and eventual elimination of measles, complacency set in, and now an increasing numbers of parents are choosing not to vaccinate their kids. In addition, there has been a huge campaign to link vaccines with autism (a link that has been proven to be false). These factors have helped reverse the tremendous progress made earlier.
Is the vaccine perfect?
Although most of 2014’s measles cases were among unvaccinated people, a minority of the cases were people who had documented vaccinations. This shows that the vaccine is not perfect. However, vaccinating the majority of the population results in a phenomenon called “herd immunity”, which causes protection of the whole herd, even if some are left unvaccinated.
The conclusion is that vaccination (against measles and other diseases) is very important to prevent a resurgence of measles in our communities. We should also steer clear of false claims about the link of vaccines with autism. If you don’t know whether you’re immune to measles and you plan to travel, check with your doctor or local health clinic to see whether you should get the vaccine before you travel.
This information is strictly an opinion of Dr Prakash, and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Dr Chris Prakash is a contributing columnist, and author of eParisExtra’s “The Doctor is In” column. He is a medical oncologist at Texas Oncology Paris. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Oncology and Hematology. He lives in Paris, TX with his wife and two children, and can be reached at 9037850031, or Sucharu.prakash@usoncology.com