Measles outbreak in US raises concerns over unvaccinated population
FILE - In this March 27, 2019 file photo, signs advertising free measles vaccines and information about measles are displayed at the Rockland County Health Department, in Pomona, N.Y. U.S. measles cases are continuing to jump, with most of the reported illnesses continuing to be in children. Health officials on Monday, April 8 said 465 measles cases were reported through last week, the second-highest total in 25 years.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File
With talks of major advancements in medicine like an HIV cure and genetic editing, few imagined that the United States would be infiltrated by a disease we conquered nearly 20 years ago.
A recent measles outbreak in New York and other states has left scientists wondering if the disease was ever truly vanquished. Though measles was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000, the number of cases has risen over the years since 2010, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A CDC report states that the U.S. had a notifiable measles outbreak in 1912, resulting in around 6,000 deaths every year, until scientists developed the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in 1963.
Measles is a contagious viral disease with complications including swelling of the brain, pneumonia, ear infections and diarrhea. According to the CDC, the virus is easily transferable through breathing, coughing or sneezing, and 90 percent of non-immunized people are at risk of infection after exposure.
Director of Health Services at Lee Rachel Coffey said that vaccinated people are still at risk of getting the virus. However, vaccination gives a 93 to 97 percent chance of immunity, which is what initially led the country to declare the disease as void.
But last month, a New York suburb declared a measles emergency after 153 cases of measles were reported in Rockland County since October 2018. The ultra-Orthodox communities of the county are the most affected by the measles outbreak, according to the New York Times.
Other affected states include Washington with 36 measles cases, Michigan with 34 cases, California with 16 and New Jersey with 11.
Governor of Washington Jay Inslee also declared a state of emergency in January, urging immunization and citing the measles outbreak as “an extreme public health risk,” according to a CNN article.
Washington state allowed people to remain exempt from vaccination for religious and personal reasons until March 2019 when the Washington House passed a bill to remove the latter exemption policy. California also removed the personal reason exemption in 2015 following an outbreak of measles at Disneyland with 145 reported cases.
In the face of this crisis, schools in Washington and New York are keeping unvaccinated children out of classes, and Rockland County executive Ed May declared that they should be barred from all public places in the county.
Coffey stated that, because Lee is a diverse community, the Health Clinic has come across students who aren’t willing to be vaccinated on religious or other personal grounds.
“I haven’t had anyone come to me and point out why the Bible opposes vaccination, but there are some who simply don’t want to receive it,” Coffey said.
Junior biology major Caleb Gruber said, for him, appreciating the ability to practice advanced medicine and create vaccines is an expression of faith. However, he explained that diverse perspectives should be respected.
“There should be policies to protect people’s different views,” Gruber said.
Coffey added that, while it is important to accept others’ opinions and let them make their own choices, people should be informed of the health risks associated with remaining unvaccinated.
This year, the World Health Organization ranked “vaccine hesitancy” in its list of the 10 biggest threats to global health. Additionally, the CDC explains that sometimes people are unable to receive the MMR vaccine and become susceptible to infection during outbreaks among unvaccinated communities.
“People who are unvaccinated for any reason, including those who refuse vaccination, risk getting infected with measles and spreading it to others,” the CDC reports in a frequently-asked-questions article. “And they may spread measles to people who cannot get vaccinated because they are too young or have specific health conditions.”
As anti-vaccination movements continue to rise, Coffey explained that the widespread opposition to vaccination is mainly based on false news about side effects. Coffey said that a Google search of the MMR vaccine can lead to YouTube videos of deadly aftermaths of vaccines that are purely inaccurate.
Coffey said there can be cases where vaccines can give bad results, but the good far outweighs the bad. She added that a true understanding of vaccination requires more than surface-level explanations found in the media.
For more information on the MMR vaccine, talk to your local healthcare provider, or read about vaccination on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website.
