Measles Now – The New York Times

All the pediatric wards in the hospital, with the exception of those used for patients whose immune system is damaged, have been converted to negative pressure, she explained. air being directed out of the hospital. Visits to the neonatal intensive care unit are reserved for parents, as premature babies are particularly vulnerable and parents who live in one of the high-risk postal codes must demonstrate immunity to be able to to surrender.

"It's almost this feeling of guilt because I recognize the real suffering of measles, those children who are really sick and in the intensive care unit with pneumonia and without this support would certainly die", said Dr. Ratner. And yet, "it's an incredible opportunity to learn for our trainees and for me," he said. "I will never forget what I see now."

The baby in our clinic had no evidence of measles and, in fact, the original rash had almost disappeared. The resident was able to come into contact with the shelter and check that there was in fact no case of measles at this location. So we were able to reassure the mother.

But we talked all afternoon, from time to time, about what needed to be done to keep the children safe. Dr. Arthur Fierman, pediatric outpatient in Bellevue and pediatric professor in New York, said this may involve reviewing all children in the clinic who live in the four postal codes of the province. 'epidemic.

[[[[Lily More on the measles epidemic and Wrong information targeting ultra-Orthodox Jews.]

"I currently have on my desk a spreadsheet containing the names, addresses and phone numbers of about 700 children under the age of 4," he said. It may be necessary to contact them all, offering them protection through a first vaccination or a second early vaccination and also telling them how to get help if they think they have been exposed (enter, call ahead not to expose everyone in the waiting room.).

The first MMR vaccine should normally be given at the age of one year, but it can be given as early as 6 months if children are likely to be exposed. This means giving an extra dose of vaccine because they will have to receive it again in a year. And it is also possible to advance the second usual dose; we normally give it at 4 o'clock, but we could do it sooner. Babies younger than 6 months who are exposed and who are too young to receive the vaccine may receive immunoglobulin as protection.

The New York Department of Health advised medical providers serving the Orthodox community with these postal codes to give the first dose of vaccine to all babies aged 6 to 11 months, and that children under 4 years old may also receive the second dose sooner.