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San Benito County is joining Bay Area health officials in urging residents to get vaccinated against measles if they are not certainthey had the disease as a child and to be aware of the signs and symptoms of measles after travel or exposure.
According to a press release issued by the county, measles can cause serious illness and death and the MMR vaccine—for measles, mumps and rubella—offers safe protection.
“Measles is a highly contagious infection that is effectively preventable with vaccination,” said San Benito County Health Officer Dr. Cheryl Scott. “Protect yourself, your family and your community by ensuring that you are current on your MMR vaccine.”
More than 480 measles cases have been reported in the U.S. as of March 27. This includes a large outbreak among primarily unvaccinated children in Texas and nearby states. Two deaths have been reported.
There are eight reported measles cases in California as of March 31. All were separately reported after international travel and there is no evidence they are connected to the outbreak in Texas.
Mallory Schmitt, San Benito County’s deputy director of public health services, told BenitoLink that the county has a high vaccination rate, but like most places, there are pockets of people not vaccinated.
How it spreads and symptoms
Measles spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. The virus can linger in indoor air for several hours. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis, followed two to four days later by a rash.
About one in five unvaccinated people in the U.S. who get measles are hospitalized and nearly three of every 1,000 children who become infected with measles will die from respiratory and neurologic complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Measles presents the greatest risk to children under five years of age, adults over 20 years of age, those who are pregnant and people with compromised immune systems.
MMR vaccine
The MMR vaccine is recommended for children aged 12-15 months, with a second dose administered between ages four and six years. Children can receive the second dose of MMR vaccine earlier than four through six years, provided it is at least 28 days after the first dose.
Infants aged six-12 months can start vaccination early prior to international travel or travel to an outbreak area. Teenagers and adults with no evidence of immunity should be vaccinated. Your medical provider can order a simple blood test to check if you are immune.
One dose of the MMR vaccine is 93 percent effective against measles and two doses are 97 percent effective. Individuals born between 1957 and 1969 are likely to have received only one dose and should consider getting a second dose.
The MMR vaccine protects you for life and is widely available at provider offices, clinics, health systems and pharmacies. Schmitt said that though people 50 and older tend to be immune, individuals born between 1963 and 1967 might have had only one dose of a less effective vaccine and should consider getting a booster.
The press release recommended planning early before international travel and checking your destination and the CDC Global Measles Travel Health Notice for more travel health advice, including where measles outbreaks have been reported. Parents should consult with their child’s health care provider prior to travel.
The CDC offers accelerated vaccination guidelines for children and adults who plan to travel internationally. Schmitt recommended checking on measles status for destinations.
For questions about the MMR vaccine and immunization records, check with your health care provider and access your digital vaccine record.
Vaccinations and autism
Concerns that vaccines cause autism have been prevalent for several years, and Schmitt said studies have shown that not to be the case.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s there was a theory that vaccines given at 18-24 months of age may be responsible for autism. However, science now knows that autism starts before birth and that vaccines do not cause autism.
Studies
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