As of yesterday, there were 15 confirmed cases of measles in Chicago this year. In a city of more than 2.75 million people, that doesn’t seem like a lot – but measles are extremely contagious and spreads via airborne virus.
Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, it wasn’t uncommon for an epidemic of measles every 2-3 years – and measles killed an estimate 2.6 million people per year.
So what is measles? It’s a respiratory tract infection characterized by a high fever, cough, runny nose, red/watery eyes and a rash that spreads over the whole body. In addition, about 10% of people who contract measles will have ear infections and another 10% will suffer from diarrhea. So it’s not pleasant!
If you’re unvaccinated and contract measles, you have a 20% chance of needing to be hospitalized. Other complications can include pneumonia, encephalitis and even death.
In 2000, measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. (defined as no disease transmission for more than 12 month) thanks to a highly effective vaccination program. However, in recent years the percentage of children receiving the vaccine has been dropping. for the 2022-23 school year, national coverage for the measles vaccine was at 93% – 2% lower than what is needed to achieve herd immunity. Theories on the drop all center around impact from the Covid pandemic and range from timing issues for wellness visits being disrupted to vaccine fatigue. Misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine is also contributing to the drop.
The good news? For those of us who have had the 2-dose measles vaccine, we should be covered for life. Children should receive their first dose of the vaccine when they are between 12 and 15 months old with the second dose administered when they are between 4-6 years old. Did you miss getting a vaccine as a child? Adults can also be vaccinated – see your healthcare provider for timing for the 2 shots.
Measles is a serious disease that at minimum could cause you a couple weeks of misery – or send you to the hospital with complications that aren’t great. So make sure you and your kids are covered as the disease is making a bit of a comeback! Want to learn more? Check out these links:
- https://www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles
- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/measles-cases-are-rising-in-the-u-s-heres-why-misinformation-about-the-vaccine-persists-today
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