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Measles Is Making A Comeback: Can We Stop It?

Seven Things To Know About The Recent Measles Outbreaks.

Has The Recent News About Measles Outbreaks I

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Healthwatch 29

Seven things to know about the recent measles outbreaks.

Has the recent news about measles outbreaks in the US surprised you? Didn’t it seem like we were done with measles?

In the US, widespread vaccination halted the ongoing spread of measles more than 20 years ago, a major public health achievement. Before an effective vaccine was developed in the 1960s, nearly every child in the US got measles. Complications like measles-related pneumonia or hearing loss were common, and 400 to 500 people died each year.

As I write this, there have been 1,227 confirmed cases in 36 states, mostly among children. The biggest outbreak is in west Texas, where 97 people have been hospitalized and two unvaccinated school-age children recently died, the first measles deaths in the US since 2015. Officials in New Mexico have also reported a measles-related death.

Can we prevent these tragedies?

Measles outbreaks are highly preventable. It’s estimated that when 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, both those individuals and others in their community are protected against measles.

But nationally, measles vaccination rates among school-age kids fell from 95% in 2019 to 92% in 2023. Within Texas, the kindergarten vaccination rates have dipped below 95% in about half of all state counties. In the community at the center of the west Texas outbreak, the reported rate is 82%. Declining vaccination rates are common in other parts of the US, too, and that leaves many people vulnerable to measles infections.

Only 3% of the recent cases in the US involved people known to be fully vaccinated. The rest were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccine status (95%), or they had received only one of the two vaccine doses (2%).

What to know about measles

As measles outbreaks occur within more communities, it’s important to understand why this happens — and how to stop it. Here are seven things to know about measles.

The measles virus is highly contagious

Several communities have suffered outbreaks in recent years. The measles virus readily spreads from person to person through the air we breathe. It can linger in the air for hours after a sneeze or cough. Estimates suggest nine out of 10 nonimmune people exposed to measles will become infected. Measles is far more contagious than the flu, COVID-19, or even Ebola.

Early diagnosis is challenging

It usually takes seven to 14 days for symptoms to show up once a person gets infected. Common early symptoms — fever, cough, runny nose — are similar to other viral infections such as colds or flu. A few days into the illness, painless, tiny white spots in the mouth (called Koplik spots) appear. But they’re easy to miss, and are absent in many cases. A day or two later, a distinctive skin rash develops.

Unfortunately, a person with measles is highly contagious for days before the Koplik spots or skin rash appear. Very often, others have been exposed by the time measles is diagnosed and precautions are taken.

Measles can be serious and even fatal

Measles is not just another cold. A host of complications can develop, including

brain inflammation (encephalitis), which can lead to seizures, hearing loss, or intellectual disability

pneumonia

eye inflammation (and occasionally, vision loss)

poor pregnancy outcomes, such as miscarriage

subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare and lethal disease of the brain that can develop years after the initial measles infection.

Complications are most common among children under age 5, adults over age 20, pregnant women, and people with an impaired immune system. Measles is fatal in up to three of every 1,000 cases.

During the latest outbreaks, 148 cases — about one in eight — have required hospitalization.

Getting measles may suppress your immune system

When you get sick from a viral or bacterial infection, antibodies created by your immune system will later recognize and help mount a defense against these intruders. In 2019, a study at Harvard Medical School (HMS) found that the measles virus may wipe out up to three-quarters of antibodies protecting against viruses or bacteria that a child was previously immune to — anything from strains of the flu to herpesvirus to bacteria that cause pneumonia and skin infections.

“If your child gets the measles and then gets pneumonia two years later, you wouldn’t necessarily tie the two together. The symptoms of measles itself may be only the tip of the iceberg,” said the study’s first author, Dr. Michael Mina, who was a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of geneticist Stephen Elledge at HMS and Brigham and Women’s Hospital at the time of the study.

In this video, Mina and Elledge discuss their findings.

Vaccination is highly effective

Two doses of the current vaccine provide 97% protection — much higher than most other vaccines. Rarely, a person gets measles despite being fully vaccinated. When that happens, the disease tends to be milder and less likely to spread to others.

The measles vaccine is safe

The safety profile of the measles vaccine is excellent. Common side effects include temporary soreness in the arm, low-grade fever, and muscle pain, as is true for most vaccinations. A suggestion that measles or other vaccines cause autism has been convincingly discredited. However, this often-repeated misinformation has contributed to significant vaccine hesitancy and falling rates of vaccination.

Ways to protect yourself from measles infection

Vaccination. Usually, children are given the first dose around age 1 and the second between ages 4 and 6 as part of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine. If a child — or adult — hasn’t been vaccinated, they can have these doses later.

If you were born after 1957 and received a measles vaccination before 1968, consider getting revaccinated or tested for measles antibodies (see below). The vaccine given before 1968 was less effective than later versions. And before 1957, most people became immune after having measles, although this immunity can wane.

Isolation. To limit spread, everyone diagnosed with measles and anyone who might be infected should avoid close contact with others until four days after the rash resolves.

Mask-wearing by people with measles can help prevent spread to others. Household members or other close contacts should also wear a mask to avoid getting it.

Frequent handwashing helps keep the virus from spreading.

Testing. If you aren’t sure about your measles vaccination history or whether you may be vulnerable to infection, consider having a blood test to find out if you’re immune to measles. Memories about past vaccinations can be unreliable, especially if decades have gone by, and immunity can wane.

Pre-travel planning. If you are headed to a place where measles is common, make sure you are up to date with vaccinations.

The bottom line

While news about measles in recent months may have been a surprise, it’s also alarming. Experts warn that the number of cases (and possibly deaths) are likely to increase. And due to falling vaccination rates, outbreaks are bound to keep occurring. One study estimates that between nine and 15 million children in the US could be susceptible to measles.

But there’s also good news: we know that measles outbreaks can be contained and the disease itself can be eliminated. Learn how to protect yourself and your family. Engage respectfully with people who are vaccine hesitant: share what you’ve learned from reliable sources about the disease, especially about the well-established safety of vaccination.

Harvard Health Publishing

Irans FM Araghchi, Saudi Crown Prince MBS Hold Fruitful Talks In Jeddah

Tehran’s Top Diplomat Abbas Araghchi Visits Saudi Arabia For The First Time After Iran’s 12-day War With Israel. Saudi Arabia’s Cr...

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Tehran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi visits Saudi Arabia for the first time after Iran’s 12-day war with Israel. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Jeddah in the first visit by a top Iranian official to the Gulf kingdom after Israel’s war with Tehran. Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Araghchi’s talks with Prince Mohammed and other Saudi officials on Tuesday were “fruitful”. The visit after the 12-day intense conflict between Israel and Iran, which saw the United States bomb three Iranian nuclear facilities before mediating a ceasefire, suggests that the war did not derail the rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s official news agency, SPA, said Araghchi and Prince Mohammed “reviewed bilateral relations and discussed the latest regional developments and the efforts being made in that regard”. “The Crown Prince expressed the Kingdom’s aspiration that the ceasefire agreement would contribute to creating conditions that promote security and stability in the region, emphasizing the Kingdom’s stance in supporting dialogue through diplomatic means as a path to resolving disputes,” SPA said. It added that Araghchi expressed his gratitude to the kingdom for “condemning the Israeli aggression”. The top Iranian diplomat also met with Saudi Minister of Defence Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Israel launched a massive bombardment against Iran on June 13, without direct provocation, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists as well as hundreds of civilians. Iran retaliated with missile barrages that left widespread destruction in Israel. After the US targeted Iran’s nuclear sites, Tehran responded with a missile launch against a US airbase in Qatar. Shortly after that attack, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. While Arab countries condemned the attack as a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, Iran appears to be pushing to repair relations with Gulf states. Ties between Tehran and Riyadh were strained for years over disagreements around regional conflicts and mutual accusations of spreading instability. But the two countries agreed to restore formal relations as part of a deal brokered by China in 2023, and top Saudi and Iranian officials have been in regular contact. Before the outbreak of the recent war, Saudi Arabia had welcomed Iran’s nuclear talks with the US, saying it supported efforts to resolve regional and international disputes. On Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he believed Tehran could resolve its differences with the US through dialogue, but trust would be an issue after the attacks on his country. In an article published by the Financial Times earlier on Tuesday, Araghchi accused Israel of preferring conflict over diplomacy. “Iran remains interested in diplomacy, but we have good reason to have doubts about further dialogue,” he wrote. “If there is a desire to resolve this amicably, the US should show genuine readiness for an equitable accord.” Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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Remas Bout U Teaser Ignites Fan Frenzy Ahead Of Release

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Rivers Varsity Declares Zero Tolerance For Sexual Harassment, Exam Malpractice

The New Vice Chancellor Of The Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi Has Said The Inst...

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The new Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi has said the institution under his leadership will not tolerate any act of sexual harassment, examination malpractices and related vices. Zeb-Obipi stated this in his address during the 43rd matriculation ceremony for its 11,083 new intakes, a number he announced to be the highest in the history of institution. While assuring that the university will support the students with all necessary support to help them scale through successfully, he urged them to take their studied seriously in order to graduate with flying colours. He said, “As you begin your academic journey, I urge you to be curious, ask questions, seek answers, and explore new ideas. Take advantage of the numerous opportunities available to you, including research collaborations, internships, mentorship programs, and community service projects. “Remember that with great opportunities come great responsibilities. Be mindful of your actions, respect your peers and colleagues, and uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. “It is for these reasons, this University has zero tolerance for drug abuse, cultism, sexual harassment, examination malpractice, sorting, extortion, stealing, indecent dressing, and other social vices.” Continuing, the VC noted, “Let me impress on you why congratulating you is in order. A total of 29,107 candidates chose this University as their first choice in the 2024 JAMB Examination. When the University took its JAMB cutoff mark as 190 points, those eligible became 16,172 candidates. “15,348 of them registered for the Post UTME, but 15,014 candidates took the test. You made it as part of the 11,083 candidates admitted in the following distribution by faculties, this is the highest this university has ever admitted.” The Vice-Chancellor said the institution is committed to providing a world-class education that prepares its students for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. “Our faculty members are renowned experts in their fields, and our curricula are designed to foster critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. “Our vision is to transform the University into a world-class, innovative, and inclusive institution; fostering a culture of excellence, creativity, and social responsibility; through the reengineering of the University’s academic, administrative, and community engagement frameworks; to ensure that they are student-centric, faculty-driven, community-oriented and responsive to the needs of the 21st century.” While acknowledging the challenges the framers may face during their academic journey, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi said, “Our academic advisors and support staff are dedicated to helping you navigate any challenges you may face. “As you matriculate today, I charge you to be bold, be innovative, and be agents of positive change. “Use your time here to explore, discover, and develop your passions. Make lifelong friends, build meaningful relationships, and create unforgettable memories.”

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