Health leaders in the US are telling doctors to be ready because more people are getting measles, which is a sickness that can spread very quickly. They also tell families who want to travel to places where measles is common to make sure their little kids get a shot to protect them from measles before they leave.
The CDC, the group in charge of keeping people healthy in the US, sent a message to doctors on Monday. They want doctors to know that measles is spreading to many countries and to give babies their shots earlier than usual if their families are going to travel to other countries.
This message is important because many people travel during the spring and summer. According to the CDC, many Americans like to visit some places, like Austria, the Philippines, Romania, and the UK, which have many measles cases.
The CDC is also worried because, in 36 states in the US, not enough kindergarteners are getting their measles shots. They say at least 95% of kids need to get the shot to prevent measles from spreading to many people, which is called herd immunity.
Dr. Nirav Shah, who leads the CDC, says that the vaccination rate for measles has slightly decreased from 95% to 93%. This small change indicates that most people still maintain immunity against measles. While a 2% drop might seem minor, it translates to approximately 250,000 kindergarten-aged children at risk of contracting measles because they have not been vaccinated. Despite the decrease, the overall vaccination rate suggests that most people in the US remain protected against measles.
The measles shots work well. If you get two shots, it’s 97% likely you won’t get measles, and even one shot is 93% effective.
Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, who heads a large group of doctors, said in an email that all the research shows that getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to prevent illness and keep everyone healthy.
CDC has new advice for people traveling to other countries
The CDC has new advice for people traveling to other countries. They say you should see a doctor 6 weeks before your trip to ensure you’re fully vaccinated. Before, they said a month was enough.
Babies usually get their first shot for measles, mumps, and rubella at one year old. However, the CDC recommends doing it a bit earlier to keep them safe from these contagious diseases.
Kids who haven’t had their shots and are 1 year or older should get two doses of the measles vaccine, 28 days apart, before they go on a trip.
The measles virus can stay in the air for 2 hours after someone with measles has been there. You can get sick if you touch something the virus is on and then touch your face. You can spread measles 4 days before and after the rash shows up.
You’ll probably get it if you’re around someone with measles and are not immune.
If you travel and get a rash, fever, cough, runny nose, or red eyes, go to the doctor. But tell them first so they can stop the virus from spreading.
The CDC says 46 countries have many measles cases right now. The US doesn’t usually have measles, but people still get it when they travel and bring it back. This year, there have been 58 cases in the US, as many as last year.
Measles can be seen in Chicago, California, Arizona, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
The CDC tells travelers to get vaccinated 2 weeks before leaving or ensure they’ve had measles. Measles can be bad for everyone and can cause pneumonia or even death. It’s worse for little kids, older adults, pregnant women, and people who are already sick.
Because of COVID-19, many kids missed their shots, making it easier for measles to spread. The CDC says over 61 million shots were missed.
Measles cases have increased dramatically around the world. In 2022, there were less than 1,000 cases in the WHO European area, which includes parts of Asia. The next year, there were over 30,000 cases.
The new numbers from the WHO show that the number of measles cases rose by 18% worldwide last year to about 9 million. At the same time, the number of deaths from measles rose by 43% to an estimated 136,000.