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ATLANTA, GA – Measles, an extremely contagious and potentially deadly disease that virtually disappeared from the United States nine years ago, reached its highest level in 25 years, with about 700 cases in 2019. Federal health officials and states say that the resurgence of the disease is linked to misinformation that pushes parents to get vaccinated. In Georgia, six measles cases have been confirmed.
Three new cases of measles were confirmed in Georgia on April 25, in addition to three cases reported in January 2019, public health officials said. Infected patients are unvaccinated family members, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. The epidemic in Georgia did not result in death.
Measles is spread quickly from person to person by coughing and sneezing. Symptoms begin with fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and sore throat. Then, a rash spreads on the body. Complications are more common in children under 5 years of age and adults over 20 years of age and include ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and death.
"Vaccination is essential for good health, especially when it comes to highly contagious viral infections, like measles." Measles was considered eliminated from the United States in 2000 because An effective vaccination program had been developed, "says the Public Health Department of Georgia.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that 695 cases were reported in 22 states Wednesday afternoon, against 626 reported Monday. Public health officials have warned that the number of confirmed measles cases is expected to increase further. At eight months of 2019, it is the worst year for measles in the United States since 1994, when 963 cases had been reported, the agency said.
Of the 22 states confirming measles, New York, California, Washington State and Michigan have a high number of measles cases. Other states reporting measles are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey , Oregon, Texas and Tennessee.
The CDC recommends the vaccine to all people over one year old, with the exception of people with the disease while they were children. Those who have had measles are immune.
Children should receive two doses of MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) at the age of 1 year and 4 to 6 years, the agency said. Adults who have not received the vaccine should be vaccinated. Vaccination prevents illness, complications and sometimes even death.
To prevent measles and other viruses, the Ministry of Health urges Georgians to:
- Vaccinate your children. Georgia requires vaccination against measles and other viruses for childcare and school attendance.
- Contact the Georgian Registry of Immunization Operations and Servicesor GRITS, at 1-888-523-8076 for immunization records if you are unsure about your vaccination. Anyone who has never received the measles vaccine must do so.
- Be aware of vaccination schedules. Some vaccines are needed only once or twice, like the measles vaccine. Others may be needed more often, such as an annual flu shot. Know when and how often you and your family should be vaccinated.
- Make sure to be protected when traveling. Different places treat viruses and immunizations differently.
- Get vaccinated during pregnancy. Vaccines during pregnancy against whooping cough, flu and others are beneficial.
- Keep unvaccinated children at home during viral outbreaks. In case of a viral epidemic and if your child is not vaccinated, do not drive him to school, otherwise he will be infected.
- Talk to your child's health care provider about your immunization problems. There has been a lot of talk about vaccination. If you have questions, consult your health care provider.
If you or a member of your family contract measles, avoid public places until about four days after the onset of rash. Call your doctor before going to a clinic so that he can take precautions to prevent the spread of measles.
Sixty-one of the new cases have been reported in the state of New York, where outbreaks have erupted among unvaccinated members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and Rockland County. About three quarters of measles cases in the United States are found in these communities, and public health officials fear that cases will multiply among these groups after Pesach's rallies. The symptoms of measles take between 10 and 12 days.
"This anti-vaccine movement is widespread in the community," Joseph Kaplovitz, a pediatrician serving the ultra-Orthodox community in the Williamsburg district of Brooklyn, told The Associated Press. "Part of the misinformation is that it causes autism, that vaccines contain mercury, that the disease itself will protect them from cancer, from eczema."
The ultra-Orthodox rabbis generally have no religious objection to vaccines and urged their faithful to be vaccinated. But the "anti-vaxxer" movement has made its entry among the ultra-Orthodox, even if they are little exposed to the Internet.
The MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (also called German measles) has been used for almost 50 years in the United States. Measles and rubella have been completely eradicated and mumps cases have decreased by 99% as a result of the widespread use of the vaccine.
The researchers confirmed the safety and efficacy of the MMR vaccine and demonstrated that its use was not associated with the development of autism, said Marks, recognizing the concerns of so-called "anti-vaxxers".
The MMR vaccine is 97% effective in preventing measles and rubella if administered according to CDC guidelines, which advocate two doses starting at 1 year of age. There are usually mild and short-term side effects, such as a rash or fever.
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