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SALT LAKE CITY – Utah's public health officials want to reverse the anti-vaccination trend before it's too late, especially with regard to measles, mumps and rubella, which all were eradicated in the United States decades ago.
Six mumps cases have been confirmed in central Utah, and at least five more are awaiting confirmation of laboratory tests, Utah Health Department reported Thursday.
In addition, at least 24 states, including some neighbors in Utah, are experiencing measles outbreaks. This is the highest concentration of this disease in the United States in 25 years, said Dr. Joseph Miner, executive director of Utah's Department of Health.
"These outbreaks should not happen," he said, adding that one of the greatest achievements of public health of the last century was the advent of vaccination.
But not everyone uses them – and it shows.
"Too many of us are inexperienced with the diseases we are talking about and are unaware of their seriousness," said Miner. "These diseases are very serious, resulting in death and disability."
More than 700 cases of measles have been confirmed in the United States, not yet in Utah, but according to Miner, he is imminent.
"We need to improve our vaccination rates," said Dr. Allyn Nakashima, an epidemiologist in the health department. She said public perception of vaccinations would likely be changed by social media, which "may not be scientific".
It is thought that many people could be exposed to the potentially dangerous virus in Utah, with the state already experiencing an outbreak of mumps. Both can be prevented with the same vaccine – the MMR vaccine.
Both viruses have been eradicated in the United States since about 2000.
Nakashima said that measles had not yet touched the state of Beehive, adding that Utah "could not escape this bullet".
"Many parents and doctors alive today have never seen any cases of measles," said Dr. Andrew Pavia, chief of the pediatric infectious diseases division at the Children's Primary Hospital. . He has worked in countries in Africa where the disease is endemic.
"It's a big problem," he said, adding that "the best gift you can give your children" is immunity against a disease that can change or end life.
Infants and young children usually receive a first dose of MMR vaccine at 12 months and are fully vaccinated only at the age of 5 years. They are particularly susceptible to the disease, as are pregnant women and immunodeficient persons. However, people who plan to travel abroad are also at high risk of contracting measles.
"Your chance of being exposed is important," said Pavia.
Measles usually comes first with fever and fatigue, a cough, a runny nose and red eyes. There are sometimes spots in the mouth, but the telltale sign of measles infection is a whole-body rash, said Dr. Tamara Sheffield, medical director of health and prevention within Intermountain Healthcare.
She added that measles, along with mumps and rubella, can lead to life-threatening complications. According to Sheffield, one in 20 children with measles will have pneumonia, and one in 1,000 suffers from encephalitis or swelling of the brain, which can lead to various problems.
"We can not cure measles, we can not cure rubella, we can not cure mumps, we can only prevent them with a vaccine," she said, adding that the effects all three viruses can be devastating or even preventable.
"We must all choose to vaccinate, not only to protect our own children, but especially to protect infants and children from other people, friends and neighbors, too young to be vaccinated or having lost their immunity due to 39, other diseases, "said Miner.
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