Why Do not Forget the MMR Vaccine for Kids – The Key to the Health of the Cleveland Clinic

It's hard to imagine that just 60 years ago, almost all children had measles, a highly contagious viral disease that causes flu-like symptoms with rash.

Thanks to a highly effective vaccine, disease control and prevention centers have considered measles "eliminated" from the United States since 2000.

Small epidemics still appear in the United States each year. They come from unvaccinated individuals who travel to or from countries where measles is still endemic and unknowingly carry the virus into the United States.

"Measles can affect a community of unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people, and that's where you'll see these small pockets of mini-epidemics with 70 to 80 cases," says Frank Esper, a physician pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases. .

Generalized vaccination prevents these small clusters from
become bigger epidemics.

But the CDC reported a significant increase of 372 measles cases last year. This, combined with several epidemics already this year, has raised fears of a return of infection.

Why measles is still a threat

Measles is a respiratory infection that causes a bad cold and
flu symptoms such as cough, fever, runny nose, red eyes and rash.

In some cases, this can cause serious complications such as
ear infection, pneumonia or encephalitis, which is a serious and dangerous swelling of the brain.

The measles virus is unfortunately very easy to propagate. he
can linger as long as two hours in the air or on surfaces where someone
who is infected coughed or sneezed.

"Another insidious thing about measles is that you are
contagious until four days before you know you're sick, "said Dr.
Esper explains. "You can unknowingly transmit the virus to people even before
have symptoms. "

The importance of vaccination

The CDC recommends routine immunization against measles in the
form of the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella). The first dose is given to
children aged 12 to 15 months and a second dose is recommended between
4 and 6.

"The problem is that there is no federal law on immunization
children in the United States, "explains Dr. Esper. On the contrary, each state makes
its own requirements for vaccines for children attending public school.

Most states allow parents not to vaccinate their children.
children because of their religious beliefs, and some allow exemptions for parents
with philosophical objections to vaccination.

Rates of these non-medical exemptions have increased in recent years, following the publication of an article that baderted a link between the vaccine and autism in 1998. This study was later retracted and no other research has supported this link. But some parents still have
safety and are reluctant to vaccinate their children.

This creates pockets of under-vaccinated communities that
are more likely to be infected with diseases like measles.

But Dr. Esper points out that some children are not vaccinated
for medical reasons. Children who are
allergic to the components of the vaccine, or those whose immune system is compromised
systems, should not receive the vaccine.

Some of these children are also the most vulnerable to infection. "We all get the vaccine for ourselves and, in doing so, we also protect those who can not get vaccinated," he says. "This is called herd immunity. As a society, we also protect the most vulnerable by offering to receive this vaccine. "

Protecting a child from measles

Vaccination is the best way to prevent infection with the virus.
measles. If your child can not be vaccinated, Dr. Esper offers these
advice:

1. Avoid contact with sick people
2. Stay home if the child has fever, rashes, or discharge
   nose and cough
3. Encourage good hygiene and wash your hands
   practices
4. They must avoid touching their eyes, nose and
   mouth all day long

Mumps and rubella

The MMR vaccine is also designed to protect against mumps
and rubella.

Rubella has been considered eliminated in the United States since 2004, with fewer than 10 cases reported each year. But it is still common in other countries and can be imported by travelers.

In most people, it causes only a mild illness. But if a woman
is infected with rubella during her pregnancy, it can be deadly for
the baby, or cause a number of conbad malformations. "We are still testing rubella with
every pregnancy, "explains Dr. Esper.

Mumps is more common, with more than 2,000 cases reported in 2018. The MMR vaccine is slightly less effective in preventing mumps, as this infection can still spread in communities even with high vaccination rates.

It spreads by coughing and sneezing in environments where
many people live in nearby neighborhoods, such as university campuses.

Mumps causes fever, headache, muscle aches and swollen salivary glands. For most sufferers, these symptoms are mild and disappear within a few weeks. But rarely, mumps can cause persistent problems like meningitis, deafness or encephalitis.

"The best way to protect yourself from these and other problems
the diseases is with vaccinations, "Dr. Esper reiterates." Our vaccine is still working.
Some people worry that viruses will mutate and the vaccine will not work anymore,
but that's not the case – it's extremely effective. "