Measles, a preventable disease, has recently seen an increase in cases particularly in rural West Texas, stirring concern among Americans. Tragically, an unvaccinated child has died amidst the outbreak that currently involves over 120 cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the last confirmed death related to measles in the U.S. was back in 2015.
In nearby eastern New Mexico, there are nine reported measles cases, although the local health officials assure there is no confirmed link to the outbreak in Texas.
Understanding measles is essential to staying protected. Known as a highly contagious respiratory disease, measles spreads through the air when an infected individual breathes, sneezes, or coughs. It primarily affects children. According to Scott Weaver, a director with the Global Virus Network, one person with measles can infect approximately 15 others.
Initially beginning in the respiratory tract, the virus spreads throughout the body, creating a host of symptoms: high fever, a runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes, and a rash. The rash, appearing three to five days after symptoms start, typically emerges as flat red spots on the face, spreading to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. Once the rash develops, a person’s fever might exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
There is no particular cure for measles, so the medical approach focuses on symptom relief, preventing complications, and ensuring the patient’s comfort. Remarkably, once someone has contracted measles, they are generally immune from getting it again, according to health experts.
While measles is not often fatal, it can lead to serious complications. Common issues include ear infections and diarrhea, and about one in five unvaccinated individuals who contract measles end up in the hospital. Unvaccinated pregnant women risk giving birth prematurely or having babies with low birth weight. In children, measles can lead to pneumonia in about one out of every 20 cases. Worse still, around one in every 1,000 children may suffer from encephalitis (brain swelling), potentially causing convulsions, deafness, or cognitive disabilities.
The risk of death from measles is under 1%, mostly affecting children. Death is typically due to pneumonia or related complications.
Preventing measles hinges on vaccination with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot. Children should receive their first dose between 12 and 15 months old and a second dose between four and six years old. Before vaccines were introduced in the 1960s, measles was a common illness. The availability of vaccines, however, has substantially curbed the disease’s spread.
Years of data endorse the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. Weaver emphasizes that by maintaining a 95% vaccination rate in communities, measles outbreaks can be significantly reduced. Unfortunately, vaccination rates have dwindled since the COVID-19 pandemic, with most states falling short of the protective 95% benchmark for kindergartners.
As for booster shots, high-risk individuals, such as health care workers or those living amidst an outbreak, may consider them even if they’ve received the two childhood doses. People with underlying health conditions should also consider this option. However, there is no immediate necessity for everyone to seek a booster if they have been fully vaccinated as a child — standard childhood vaccinations should suffice in most scenarios.
