In Texas, public health officials have reported measles outbreaks. Most of the time it comes with children. …(+)
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The number of cases of measles outbreaks in Texas doubled in three days. Public health officials reported Friday that 48 measles had been identified in the South Plains area from 24 cases reported Tuesday, indicating a rapidly evolving situation. 42 of the cases have been reported in Gaines County, with additional cases in Lynn, Terry and Yoakum counties. The New Mexico Health Department is reporting one incident in Lee County, which is across the Gaines County border.
In Texas, 13 cases are in children under the age of five, and 29 cases are in young people aged 5 to 17. Five cases have been reported in adults, and no age of one has been reported. According to Texas Department of Health officials, all infected individuals were not vaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown. Thirteen infected individuals have been hospitalized.
Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease. Vaccines that are usually administered in combination with mumps and rubella vaccines consist of the form of weakening or attenuation of the measles virus. The recommended two-dose series is 97% effective in preventing infection. In fact, the number of reported measles cases in the United States has dropped dramatically after vaccine use was approved.
The measles mumps vaccine is also very safe. According to the CDC, the most common side effects include mild fever, pain at the site of the injection, and rash. Very rarely, individuals do not experience febrile attacks after receiving the vaccine, but such attacks are not associated with long-term outcomes. Furthermore, there is no link between MMR vaccines and autism.
Health officials declared measles was eliminated in the United States in 2000, but exclusion does not mean eradication. Regular cases of measles still occur in the United States, but most often among people who have not been vaccinated. Unfortunately, the number of people who have not been vaccinated is on the rise. As a result, there are more measles cases. For example, 85 cases were reported during the 2022 Ohio outbreak. At least 84 people were either vaccinated or only partially vaccinated.
Vaccination rates among Gaines County schoolchildren are particularly troubling. Only about 82% of kindergarteners in the county receive the recommended measles vaccine, according to data provided by the Texas Department of State Health Department. That’s dramatically below the state average of nearly 94%. Because measles is so easily transmitted, epidemiologists generally agree that group immunity only occurs when about 95% of the population is vaccinated.
What are driving these low-level vaccinations? The number of parents demanding conscientious exemptions from school vaccination requirements has increased significantly. In Gaines County, 13.6% of families requested exemptions in the 2023-2024 academic year. Ten years ago, that number was only 4.3%.
Vaccine reluctance is also a major contributor to this change. A recent survey conducted by KFF found that the percentage of parents who thought their children should be needed to get the MMR vaccine to attend school was from 82% in 2019 to 71% in 2022. It has decreased. Determine whether children should be vaccinated.
However, the decision to get vaccinated affects more than an individual. In any community, some people cannot be vaccinated, perhaps because they are immune deficiency. These individuals rely on the immunity of the group. If most people around them are vaccinated, they are protected. Therefore, the decision by parents to refrain from routine immunizations of their children can have broad consequences.
The positive impact of the vaccine is incredible. Natural PO has been completely eradicated. Cases of diseases such as measles and polio have decreased dramatically. And it is likely that the Covid-19 vaccine has saved millions of lives around the world. However, an increase in misinformation about vaccine safety and efficacy puts their success at risk.
As more people win these vaccines, outbreaks like those currently occurring in Texas become unfortunately more common. And the outcome may be tragic. Indeed, in a recent controversy over the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a secretary to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) stated, “Innocent Children.” He said he feared he would die.”
