Measles cases appearing along the US East Coast – GWC Mag

According to the CDC, measles had been eradicated in the USA 20 years ago, because of mass vaccination with the MMR vaccine. Unfortunately, measles cases have started to appear along the East Coast of the United States in children who have not been vaccinated.

Because measles is no longer endemic in the USA (and most of the industrial world), it only comes to the USA when unvaccinated travelers go to a country where it is still endemic and bring it back to non-endemic countries like the USA. Of course, as vaccination rates for measles slowly drop, those individuals can pass this dangerous disease to unvaccinated kids creating a localized outbreak.

Let’s review what we know about measles and the MMR vaccine along with describing some of the measles cases along the East Coast.

All about measles and the vaccine

Measles (also called rubeola, not to be confused with rubella or German measles) is a respiratory disease caused by the Measles morbillivirus. This virus normally grows in the cells that line the back of the throat and lungs. 

The virus is spread through respiration (contact with fluids from an infected person’s nose and mouth, either directly or through aerosol transmission), and is highly contagious — 90% of people without immunity sharing living space with an infected person will catch it.

Infected individuals can spread measles up to four days before and four days after a rash appears.

There are no specific treatments for the disease. And there are no miracle preventions, except, of course, the MMR vaccine (for measles, mumps, and rubella). The first dose is usually given at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 to 6 years of age. Teens and adults should also be up to date on their MMR vaccination.

And just to be clear — there is no link between the vaccine and autism – this is settled science.

Also, I want to debunk the oft-repeated, and highly inaccurate, claim that vitamin A supplements can cure or prevent measles. It’s essential to supplement with vitamin A to prevent blindness as a result of measles, but it doesn’t reduce mortality or prevent some neurological issues unless there is chronic vitamin A deficiency. That’s why scientists are very supportive of golden rice, which supplements vitamin A through their rice.

According to the CDC, some of the many measles complications are:

• About 30% of measles cases develop one or more complications.
• Pneumonia is the complication that is most often the cause of death in young children.
• Ear infections occur in about 1 in 10 measles cases and permanent loss of hearing can result.
• Diarrhea is reported in about 8% of cases.
• As many as 1 out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia.
• About 1 child in every 1,000 who get measles will develop encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain that can lead to convulsions, deafness, and other long-term neurological deficits.
• A measles infection can result in short- and long-term immune system dysfunction which can leave the child susceptible to other diseases early in life (which is in direct opposition to claims by anti-vaccine activists that it helps “boost” the immune system).
• About 1-2 children, out of 1000 who contract measles, may develop subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare chronic, progressive encephalitis that affects primarily children and young adults– it is caused by a persistent infection of the measles virus. The disease starts with measles infection, usually before the age of 2 years, followed by approximately 6-15 asymptomatic years. Some researchers think the asymptomatic period is around 5-8 years after the initial disease. The disease gradually progresses with psychological and neurological deterioration, including personality changes, seizures, and coma. It is always ultimately fatal.
• And sadly, for every 1,000 children who get measles, 1 or 2 will die from it.

I’m not here for fear-mongering – but real science tells us that measles is a dangerous, debilitating disease that has both short and long-term consequences.

US East Coast measles cases

According to reports from public health departments, here are some of the measles cases identified along the East Coast of the USA:

• As of 16 January 2024, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health reported a measles cluster among eight unvaccinated residents. Three of the children are currently hospitalized because of measles.
• Across the river from Philadelphia, the Camden County, New Jersey Health Department announced on 13 January 2024, that it was closely monitoring a measles case of a child who attended daycare and may have exposed other children.
• On 13 January 2024, the Virginia Department of Health was notified of a confirmed case of measles in a person who traveled through Dulles and Reagan airports when returning from international travel.
• The Delaware Division of Public Health reported on 11 January 2024, a potential measles exposure at the Nemours Children’s Hospital in Wilmington. An investigation has identified up to 30 people exposed to the infectious individual in late December 2023.

Summary

I know that this may seem to be a very small number of measles cases and there is no reason to panic. The problem is that these individuals (mostly children) are carrying a highly contagious and dangerous virus that can be transmitted to unvaccinated children.

Sadly, about 9.2% of children between the ages of 12 and 24 months (the vaccine is not recommended for children under 12 months), the most susceptible age for measles complications, are not vaccinated. And children under the age of 12 months are not vaccinated at all. This means that even one case going to school or daycare can quickly spread the disease.

Moreover, even though the measles vaccine is 97% effective against the disease, that means that 3% of vaccinated individuals could catch the dangerous disease.

If you are planning to travel to an area with endemic measles, it is important to be up-to-date with childhood and adult measles vaccines. Of course, whether or not you are planning to travel to an endemic area, you should be up-to-date on your vaccines.

Right now, these cases do not represent an outbreak. However, it does not take much for measles to spread from individual cases to many other children. That’s why there’s a vaccine.

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