FALL RIVER – With a measles outbreak in New York -- that led one county to ban unvaccinated youth from public spaces -- The Herald News wondered if something like that could happen here?
“It could happen anywhere,” said Dr. Joely V. Edwards, Chief of Pediatric Services for Southcoast Pediatrics in Dartmouth. “It’s probably one of the most contagious diseases.”
Edwards said all it takes is for someone in a “pocket” of unvaccinated children or adults to contract the virus, and it can be easily spread.
For those not vaccinated with the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella), “at least 90 percent exposed to measles will get measles,” Edwards said.
Measles can be spread by casual contact, coughing, sneezing, and even from contaminated objects. The virus can remain on a surface for two days.
The measles outbreak in Rockland County, N.Y. began in October and the decision to ban youth from public spaces this week is thought to be the first ban of this type in the nation, according to the New York Times.
The county has diagnosed more than 150 cases of measles. There are also more than 200 cases in certain areas of Brooklyn and Queens. Most of the cases are in Orthodox Jewish communities, according to NYC Health. Vaccination efforts have been ongoing.
“A community has to use its resources to immunize the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time,” Edwards said.
The Massachusetts Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences lists the dangerous side effects of contracting measles, including diarrhea, ear infections, and pneumonia, and less common but more serious complications like blindness, seizure disorders and brain diseases. Although rare, measles can cause brain swelling and death.
“They can die,” Edwards said. “It’s not just a fever and some spots.”
Measles is most dangerous for children under age 5, elders, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, but it can also be dangerous for any adult over age 20.
Edwards said it’s uncommon to see measles these days. The disease is considered eradicated in the United States. But, it does crop up from time to time, as do mumps (there have been more than 150 cases in the U.S. this year) and rubella, known as the three-day measles and can cause miscarriage.
Edwards saw measles in 2006 while practicing on Cape Cod. A mom then of a baby less than a year old and not yet vaccinated, she said it was “nerve wracking.”
Generally, babies are vaccinated at age 1 and then receive a booster around age 4 before going to kindergarten. Adults who have received these vaccinations as children are still protected against measles and do not need a booster.
Edwards said measles can spread between children who are not vaccinated, and kids and adults who cannot be vaccinated due to health conditions.
For a community to be considered immune to measles, Edwards said 95 percent of its population must be vaccinated to protect the five percent – including young babies – that can’t receive the vaccination.
She said any outbreak like this “makes people understand” that these diseases can creep back into existence.
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, sore throat, conjunctivitis, and the telltale spots that spread from the throat or face to the chest and lower parts of the body. Measles lasts about as long as a cold. Treatment consists of managing symptoms.
“You’ll look sick,” Edwards said. “It’s a fairly predictable pattern.”
Those with measles can be contagious for a few days before and after they have symptoms.
Edwards said it’s important to seek medical help, and also important to call the physician office or emergency department first and alert them that measles is suspected so preparations can be made to keep others from contracting the virus.
So far this year, there have been 314 confirmed cases of measles in 15 states (none in Massachusetts or Rhode Island), according to the CDC.
The CDC said an outbreak can occur when travelers contract measles abroad and bring it into the U.S., and it can be spread in pockets of unvaccinated people.
“We still need to be diligent,” Edwards said. “Keep wellness appointments and get immunized fully.”
Email Deborah Allard at dallard@heraldnews.com