A Summary by Savannah Sanders
Image by Debbie Hammer
Since January of this year there has been an increase of Measles cases. Just this year, The CDC has reported 704 cases in the United States. There hasn’t been this many cases of the Measles in the United States since 1994, when 963 cases occurred. In the year 2000, the Measles was declared eliminated from the United States. The Measles is a high infectious viral illness that can cause high fever, rash, phenomena, and death. Out of the 704 cases, 503 (71%) where unvaccinated individuals and 66 (9%) people where hospitalized. 689 (98%) of the infected individuals where U.S residents. The elimination in the year 2000 was due to proficient vaccination protocols. With the recent lowering amount of people getting vaccinated and vaccinating their children, and travelers acquiring Measles abroad and returning to the U.S. is cause for the recent outbreaks in the Unites States. The CDC states that “Health care providers should ensure persons are up to date with measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, including before international travel, and rapidly report all suspected cases of measles to public health authorities.” (CDC, 2019)
Before 2019, the highest amount of cases since the elimination in 2000 was in 2014, with 667 cases reported. Under-immunized individuals in the Amish community located in Ohio is associated with this outbreak. An average 7 million people get the Measles worldwide each year. But since 2016, that number has increased by 5 to 6 million cases each year. However, most of these cases do not lead to an outbreak because of state and local health departments rapidly controlling the cases.
The Measles vaccine has a coverage of 91% in children age 13-35 months. Under-immunized and not immunized communities are at risk for outbreaks. Most of the individuals who lack vaccinations have heard misinformation about Measles and the MMR vaccine. The CDC states that “In addition to routine recommendations for MMR vaccination (3), infants aged 6–11 months should receive 1 dose of MMR vaccine, and adults should receive a second dose before international travel (3); infants who receive MMR vaccine before their first birthday should receive 2 additional doses (1 dose at age 12–15 months and another dose at least 28 days after the first dose).” (CDC, 2019)
U.S citizens who are expecting to travel internationally are at risk for getting the Measles and should have evidence of a high level of immunity towards the Measles. According to the CDC “Only written (not self-report) documentation of age-appropriate vaccination, laboratory evidence of immunity, laboratory confirmation of disease, or birth before 1957 is considered acceptable presumptive evidence of immunity.” (CDC, 2019) Health professionals and doctors should vaccinate individuals for the Measles knowing that their patient is traveling internationally and for those who don’t have proper evidence of immunity.
References
Patel M, Lee AD, Redd SB, et al. Increase in Measles Cases — United States, January 1–April 26, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019;68:402–404. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6817e1.
Image Credit: Debbie Hammer: https://woodruffsawyer.com/claims/measles-outbreak-employers-guide-claims/
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