A serious virus is making a comeback across the United States, and doctors are calling for action.
Jana Shaw, MD, a professor of pediatrics at Upstate Medical University, said the measles virus can lead to severe pneumonia that requires hospitalization. And, in one out of 1,000 people, it can cause brain swelling that can lead to brain damage and death.
"This is a serious infection,” Shaw said. “And I appreciate why some people may not be concerned because they have not seen this virus. They don't know families who have lost their children to measles, and they have not met any people who might have suffered."
Shaw said the best way to prevent the spread of measles is to make sure you’ve been vaccinated and get your children vaccinated. She said pediatric vaccines are very safe, and measles vaccines have been around for decades.
"Pharmaceutical companies make commitments to monitor vaccine safety after the vaccine is used in a population, so we have decades of knowledge, experience, and data."
Shaw said communities need to have 95 percent protection through vaccination and natural infections to achieve herd immunity.
"The problem arises once people start delaying, refusing vaccination,” Shaw said. “They will erode that community immunity, and as such, they will create pockets of vulnerable populations, where the virus can find its niche and spread like a wildfire."
Shaw said adults who have received the required doses of the MMR vaccines in the past should be immune, but they should double check with their doctors if they have had conditions that may have weakened their immune systems.
