Colonial Pediatrics is aware of the recent media coverage highlighting the high number of confirmed measles cases this year, and we would like to address and educate patients on the importance of vaccinations. Measles is a respiratory virus that was virtually eliminated in the US until recently. This year, 129 people have been infected in 13 states, the most in the first four months of any year since 1996. Typically, the maximum numbers of cases in the US of measles per year for the past 20 years is approximately 50. Measles is typically acquired in the US from unvaccinated individuals from other countries who do not have comprehensive vaccination programs as we have in the US. For comparison, France had 14,000 reported cases of measles from January to October 2011. France’s vaccination program is not as aggressive as ours, which creates more unvaccinated children and adults, increasing susceptibility to many vaccine preventable illnesses such as measles and pertussis (whooping cough).
So why should we care? After infection with the measles virus, many patients have complications including ear infections, pneumonia and brain infections. In fact 1 to 3 of every 1000 cases of measles are fatal, and 38% of cases in 2011 required hospitalization for children under 5, according to the CDC. In Africa measles is one of the top two killers of children under the age of 5.
Symptoms of measles include fever which can be very high, cough, runny nose, and red eyes, a rash of tiny red spots that starts at the head and spreads to the rest of the body, and some children will have diarrhea or an ear infection. According to the CDC, measles spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. It is very contagious. You can catch measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, even after that person is gone. And you can catch measles from an infected person even before they have measles rash.
The good news is that measles can be prevented with vaccines. Per CDC guidelines, children are supposed to receive a measles vaccine (MMR) after the first year of life and a second dose between 4-6 years old. Aggressive vaccination programs in the US virtually eliminated measles until recently. Before measles vaccination, 500,000 people in the US were infected with measles annually. It is estimated that in the past two decades vaccinations in the US have prevented an estimated 322 million illnesses and 732,000 deaths.
There is no doubt that following the comprehensive vaccination guidelines of the CDC prevents illnesses. Colonial Pediatrics is a strong believer that these vaccines help children with minimal side effects. We are proud that we are Federal VFC providers which allows us to vaccinate children regardless of insurance or economic status. We welcome your comments and encourage you to discuss vaccines or any methods to prevent illnesses with your provider.
Written by:
John Tiffany, MD
Colonial Pediatrics - Aiken, SC
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