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Students from the South Shore are probably better protected against measles than in other regions thanks to a higher than average vaccination rate of the state. At the same time, most elementary schools in the region still have unvaccinated students and others have not reported their numbers to the state.
Immunization rates reported by schools sparked renewed interest in the week following the state's confirmation of the first measles case recorded in Mbadachusetts this year, 19 years after the proclamation of its elimination from the United States. United States. The return of the disease to the state comes after several years in which the rate of transmission of measles has doubled throughout the country, in contrast to the Center for Control and Prevention. diseases, probably caused by people who are not vaccinated or who refuse to vaccinate their children. .
Fears about measles increased at the local level after state officials said that the woman who contracted the disease had visited several public places in the South Shore during the incubation period. The State Department of Public Health did not confirm his hometown, but said the woman had caught measles during a trip abroad. Upon her return, she would have visited KKatie's Kger's Burger Bar in downtown Plymouth and a target at Braintree two weeks ago before realizing that she was sick.
"Every case of measles is a cause for concern and calls for concerted public health action to protect those who have not been vaccinated or can not be vaccinated," said Kevin Cranston, director of the Bureau of Public Health. infectious diseases and state laboratory science, in an email addressed to Patriot Ledger. "That's why every effort is made to contact people who have been exposed to measles."
The news of a confirmed case has quickly spread and has revived the debate over parents who choose not to vaccinate their children for religious or philosophical reasons.
Opposition groups, sometimes called anti-vaxxers, claim that vaccines are potentially harmful and may be linked to increasing rates of chronic health problems and developmental disorders. The anti-vaccination sentiment – which enjoys support in all parts of the country – contradicts what the vast majority of doctors agree: vaccines are safe and effective. Those who choose not to vaccinate also put other groups at risk, such as infants too young to be vaccinated and immunocompromised people who can not be vaccinated for health reasons, says the CDC.
"This is clearly one of the best health tools we have, so we're doing our best to fight misinformation," said Dr. Lawrence Madoff, Director of the Epidemiology and Immunization Division of the Department of Public Health. from Mbadachusetts, Mbadachusetts.
The CDC reports that 96.3% of the 63,377 kindergarten students enrolled in Mbadachusetts for the 2017-2018 school year were vaccinated with two doses of the MMR vaccine, which provides protection against measles, mumps and rubella . At the national level, 94.5% of children received both doses. On the South Shore, 98.4% of students are vaccinated against measles, according to the data collected.
Braintree has not reported their vaccinations to the state and five of the eight elementary schools in Weymouth have not reported their numbers. Most private schools in the South Shore were not included in the state data as their kindergarten clbad was less than 30 students.
Officials from the Ministry of Public Health said that parents and school staff should not worry too much about the 1.6% of students who were not vaccinated or who have not made the declaration to their schools.
"This level of immunization provides group immunity that prevents widespread transmission of measles in the community," said Cranston. "The MMR vaccine provides excellent protection for children who can receive two doses, even though immunization rates are lower in a school or locality."
In Mbadachusetts, students must be vaccinated against tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, chickenpox and measles, mumps and rubella. Before 6 years of age, children should receive two doses of MMR, one between 12 and 15 months and the other between 4 and 6 years of age, says the CDC. A dose of RRO is 94% effective against measles and the second dose immunizes up to 97%.
Mbadachusetts law allows two exemptions from the school attendance immunization requirements: medical exemptions requiring a doctor's note and religious exemptions requiring parents to file a sincere religious objection to vaccination in writing. Cranston indicates that the state average indicates about 1% exemptions in public schools, but several schools in the South Shore are recording higher figures, including Quincy's Atherton Hough Primary School, which indicates 2.8% of students are exempt. A total of 1,006 Mbadachusetts children were exempted from vaccinations during the 2016-2017 school year.
The information from Wicked Local has been used in this report. Contact Mary Whitfill at [email protected].
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