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The first case of measles in the state this year was confirmed in Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said Tuesday.
The news comes in the middle of the largest number of cases in the United States since 1994 – and even before it happened, Lancaster County residents had asked if they needed to get vaccinated again or speed up the vaccination schedule standard.
Local doctors say the answer varies by situation, but is more likely if someone intends to travel abroad or somewhere in the event of an outbreak or if they are not sure. it is more likely to contract the highly contagious and serious disease.
Dr. Mandy Fannin, of the WellSpan Trout Run Family Practice Clinic, stated that one patient had told him that one member of his family had died of measles a few years before the distribution of the drug. vaccine, in 1963.
"Epidemics occur in people who have not been vaccinated," she said.
According to Dr. Deborah Riley, Patient Safety Officer at Penn Medicine's Lancaster General Health, there is no shortage of vaccines.
According to the CDC, one dose of vaccine is effective at about 93% in the prevention of measles, and two doses are effective at about 97%. The normal program is a dose between 12 and 15 months and a second dose between 4 and 6 years.
Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC Vaccine, recently said that the disease "can be extremely costly and disrupts public health, costing an average of about $ 32,000 per case".
More information
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health:
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The most recent measles outbreak in Pennsylvania occurred in 2017. No measles outbreaks have been reported in Lancaster County and no cases have been recorded since 2001.
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From 2000 to 2018, an average of two confirmed cases of measles were reported each year in Pennsylvania.
- The most recent measles death in Pennsylvania occurred in 2003.
Who needs vaccinations?
For starters, doctors say anyone who has never been vaccinated against measles, unless they were born before 1957, or for medical reasons, do not do it.
Anyone who is not sure can have a blood test to check their immunity, or simply take another dose – the CDC says there is usually no harm to that.
If you are traveling, the CDC recommends speeding up the schedule and ensuring that infants aged 6 to 11 months receive one dose of the vaccine, ideally at least two weeks before the start of the trip.
Children traveling aged one year or older should receive two separate doses of at least 28 days, according to the CDC, and adolescents and adults with no evidence of immunity should benefit from the same thing.
The CDC defines proof of immunity as being born before 1957 in the United States; have laboratory confirmation of immunity or measles; or having written documentation of adequate vaccination.
For school-age children and high-risk adults, including travelers, adequate vaccination is two doses, according to the CDC, and for preschool and low-risk adults, it is a dose.
However, there are two caveats. One relates to people vaccinated between 1963 and 1968, when some people received a less effective version of the vaccine "killed".
The other is for people who have probably only received one dose because they were born between 1957 and 1989, when the CDC began recommending a second dose.
Experts from these two groups should consider taking another dose.
At school
Kelly Burkholder is a spokesperson for the Lancaster School District, which is the county's largest district.
When asked if the district was taking action due to epidemics in neighboring states, she responded by e-mail,
"The students who would be most affected by the epidemic are those who are not vaccinated against second measles (MMR) .This is mainly young children of childbearing age; that they enter kindergarten in the fall. "
The district sent letters to this effect and nurses also made phone calls, she wrote.
Where can I receive it?
Paediatricians and family doctors provide immunizations. Some pharmacies can also, especially those with clinics; those considering this option should check in advance.
There is also a federally funded program called Children's Vaccines for Uninsured or Uninsured Immunization.
More information on this program is available by calling the Lancaster County Health Center at 717-299-7597, the Lancaster Health Center at 717-299-6371 or the Welsh Mountain Health Center at 717-354. -4711.
And for children ages 1 month to 18 years who have Medicaid or are uninsured, Lancaster General The Child Protect program offers free vaccinations in a series of clinics.
Dates for upcoming clinics are May 20 in Colombia and June 18-19 in New Holland and Bart, respectively; more information is available by calling 717-544-3807.
How much do they cost?
It's about health care, so the answer is not easy; it will vary.
Local doctors say that insurance should cover the vaccine for children, but not for adults; they recommend to check.
The Walgreens and CVS clinics websites report MMR costs of $ 99.99 and $ 135 respectively for uninsured or out-of-pocket patients.
Where are the epidemics?
Outbreaks, defined by the CDC as three or more cases, have been reported in six states and linked to travelers reporting measles from countries such as Israel, Ukraine, and the Philippines.
Pennsylvania is not on this list, but three of its neighbors are: New York in New York and Rockland County; Maryland; and New Jersey.
The others are located in Georgia, Michigan and Butte, Los Angeles and Sacramento counties in California.
Before the Pennsylvania case was confirmed Tuesday, CDC records indicated that 22 states had reported measles cases since January.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has warned residents of Lancaster County against exposure to two suspected cases of measles during the past four years, in January 2015 and August 2018.
The tests performed on both cases came back negative, according to the department.
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