What You Should Know About The Measles

It seems like you can’t turn on the news lately without hearing about the measles outbreak that’s hit the United States this year. It’s the worst outbreak in more than two decades.According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are confirmed Measles cases in 22 states with more than 700 people diagnosed. The majority of cases involve children under the age of 18 who had not been vaccinated.“This statistic underscores the importance of having your child vaccinated,” Enid physician Renah Gibson, D.O. stated. “This is especially true for very young children, who can develop serious complications brought on by the measles.”The good news is that, as of today, there are no confirmed cases in Oklahoma. Neighboring Texas has more than a dozen cases. Measles has also appeared in Colorado and Missouri but no state has been harder hit than New York. The state has seen hundreds of cases and has resorted to closing some schools and issuing an emergency order requiring vaccination.Dr. Gibson explained that measles is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. “It is extremely contagious and a patient may be able to spread measles even before they start showing symptoms.”Symptoms appear about ten days to two weeks after exposure and include: fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, and skin rash. Measles patients might also have tiny spots that are white in color inside the mouth. These are called Koplik spots.One reason behind the outbreak is that many parents are misinformed and think the vaccine is harmful, due in part to a debunked article published in Europe that falsely claimed a link between vaccines and autism.Dr. Gibson said the CDC recommends all children receive the Measles Mumps Rubella vaccine. The first dose at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second dose between the ages of 4 and 6 years old. According to the CDC, two doses of the vaccine are 97% effective.Teenagers or adults who have not had measles or who have not been vaccinated should get two doses of the MMR vaccine at least 28 days apart.“If you don’t know your vaccine status, you should speak to your physician about the best way to protect yourself.” Dr. Gibson advised.