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Health officials in Wisconsin said the state was at high risk of the measles outbreak.
In total, about 15% of people across the country have not received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to state health records. In some areas of Wisconsin, between 30 and 40% of residents have not received the complete MMR vaccine.
As of this year, the United States has reported 764 confirmed cases of measles in 23 states, including Illinois, Michigan and Iowa, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This compares to 372 cases in 2018; 120 cases in 2017 and 86 cases in 2016.
The anti-vaccine movement is behind the resurgence of measles, declared eliminated in 2000, according to the CDC.
"It's very tight and that means those of us here in Wisconsin are also at risk," said Dr. Lyn Ranta of the Wisconsin Children's Hospital at a news conference Thursday. "We still have a lot of unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people here in our community, we just need someone who is in the contagious phase to rub shoulders with people who are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated."
The Children's Hospital opened measles immunization appointments in 23 of its primary care centers. Families can go online to make an appointment or see their child's vaccine history in the Wisconsin Immunization Registry.
The Milwaukee Public Schools, the state's largest school district, are using it to increase its rates of compliance with vaccination rules. Currently, 89.4% of students have achieved minimum vaccination rates compared to 44.9% for the 2005-2006 school year, according to district spokesman Andy Nelson.
Some families choose not to vaccinate for personal, medical or religious reasons. This is legal in Wisconsin, but families are required to provide a signed waiver to the school.
"In the event of an outbreak, the MPS would work closely with the (Milwaukee Department of Health) to identify students who are not up to date with their vaccines.These students would not be allowed to go to the clinic. As they would not have received their vaccine, "Nelson said. .
Wisconsin has the fifth highest rate of refusal of measles vaccine in the country. And although the state has not recorded any cases of the disease since 2014, Dr. James Conway, professor and assistant director of health sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and Public Health of the United States. University of Wisconsin-Madison said it was remarkable that we did not see it. a case for the moment.
Measles is highly contagious and initially causes symptoms that can easily be confused with those of influenza or other common viruses. These ambiguous symptoms usually precede a classic rash due to measles. The disease also has a long incubation period and infected people can become contagious before they notice any symptoms.
These factors make measles a difficult disease to control and are compounded in 2019 by the growing number of unvaccinated people, especially children, and by a health system that is not used to the disease, Conway said. at Wisconsin Public Television.. "
A bill was proposed by Senator Patrick Testin, of R-Stevens Point, and the state's representative, Tony Kurtz, of R-Wonewoc, would allow trained pharmacists to administer vaccines to young children on prescription .
The increase in the Amish population of western Wisconsin is one of the reasons that several countries have less respected MMR vaccines.
In Vernon County, less than 40% of residents are vaccinated, according to state medical records.
"This is largely a result of personal beliefs and we do not control this situation very much," said Beth Johnson, director of the Vernon County Health Department. "Measles is a very contagious disease and we are working all the time, but we have not received many more calls for vaccination."
Michele Armbrust, a public health nurse from Taylor County, said many residents had read too many articles telling them that the vaccinations were bad.
"It's trying to change the state of mind, but unless you drag them on the streets," Armbrust said.
In Taylor County, approximately 45% of residents received the full dose of MMR vaccine.
"People are now afraid of measles, but we have not seen any increase in the number of people asking (vaccination), and we have not done anything on the street to advertise, come get vaccinated against the measles."
Health system health officials at the Mayo Clinic in northwestern Wisconsin, headquartered in Eau Claire, told WisContext that they were ready to deal with a possible outbreak.
"Preparing for potential cases is a top priority," said Dr. Janki Patel, chair of the Mayo Infectious Disease Committee in northwestern Wisconsin.
Stephanie Schauer, head of the immunization program of the Wisconsin Health Services Department, explained that the reasons vary from one county to another for which people are not vaccinated.
"We are trying to provide scientific evidence so that people know that vaccines are safe and effective," Schauer said.
The ministry is also working on access issues and ensuring that people are aware of the federally funded The Vaccines for Children program, which provides free drugs to eligible children.
"We do not want people to be immune because of the costs," Schauer said, adding that nearly half of the children living in Wisconsin were eligible for the program.
Editor's Note: WisContext contributed to this report.
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