Measles cases expected to spread cross-country due to vaccination gaps, high travel – krcgtv.com

Measles cases expected to spread cross-country due to vaccination gaps, high travel

by Lauren Turman

Nearly 25 years after measles was eliminated in the United States, cases have been starting to resurface. (CDC)

Nearly 25 years after measles was eliminated in the United States, cases have been starting to resurface. According to the CDC, almost two dozen measles cases have been reported since December 1, with the first cases being found in the northeast.

Dr. Taylor Nelson, an infectious disease physician with MU Health Care, said measles is one of the most transmissible diseases and will likely continue to spread through the Midwest and to the West Coast. Though the disease was eradicated in the U.S., If an unvaccinated person goes to a country where a disease is still common, becomes infected, and brings it back, they can spread the virus to other unvaccinated people. She said high travel and a largely unvaccinated population are causing an uptick in numbers.

Although the numbers were lower during the first year of COVID, we've now seen an incline again over the last couple of years," Nelson said. "And I think primarily the reason is because people are not getting vaccinated, not vaccinating their kids as much as we were when those initial measles vaccination efforts were happening. And so we're seeing more pockets of people who are susceptible to the infection."

Nelson said that with COVID-19, herd immunity, or the number of the population that will have to be immune to keep measles from spreading, will likely be very. When asked about vaccine fatigue among adults, she said creating a plan with a primary care physician will help things seem more manageable.

"I still do think they're one of the best medical inventions if not the best medical invention we've had right in the last century," she said, "So these things are these things that can protect you from your primary care doctor or a physician that you trust and come up with a schedule on. What do we need to address first? You don't have to get all of them at one time, but what's the most important, what's the most pressing? What can we get done now? What can we potentially do in the future?"

Measles' Initial symptoms include fatigue, runny nose, coughing, and fever. Later, a full-body rash will likely develop. In severe cases, severe complications can lead to death. If you contract measles, doctors say the virus has to run its course since there is no specific antiviral treatment.

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Measles cases expected to spread cross-country due to vaccination gaps, high travel - krcgtv.com