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U.S. health officials are alerting doctors to a sharp increase in measles cases around the world and recommending that families traveling to measles-affected countries vaccinate children as young as 6 months old before traveling.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a Health warning for doctors On Monday, he urged people to vaccinate children a few months ago to raise awareness of the spread of measles worldwide. A typical schedule if families are planning to go abroad.
The warning comes ahead of the busy spring and summer travel season. Several countries — destinations frequented by American tourists — including Austria, the Philippines, Romania and the United Kingdom — are experiencing measles outbreaks, the CDC has announced.
The CDC also warned of a delay in vaccination rates in 36 US states where less than 95% of kindergarteners have been vaccinated against measles. Herd immunity is a part of society that needs to be protected to prevent it from spreading in society.
Still, vaccination rates against measles in the U.S. are “very strong,” said Dr. Nirav Shah, the CDC's executive deputy director, so it's not something everyone is exposed to like Covid.
“For people who have been vaccinated… the risk of getting measles is not what it was in previous days, because the vaccination rate is higher,” Shah said. “That said, we are concerned that the vaccination rate has dropped slightly from 95% to 93%.”
Two percentage points may not seem like a lot, Shah said, but in the population, it represents about 250,000 preschoolers who are unprotected.
Measles vaccines are considered one of the most protective. Two doses are about 97% effective at preventing infection, while a single dose is 93% effective against infection.
“The overwhelming scientific evidence shows that vaccines remain the most effective and safe interventions for preventing individual disease and protecting public health,” Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, president of the American Medical Association, said in an emailed statement.
in Updated travel guidesThe CDC recommends that international travelers who are unsure of their vaccination status see a doctor at least 6 weeks before their trip to make sure they have time to get fully vaccinated. Previous guidelines recommend seeing a doctor at least one month before planned travel abroad.
Typically, children receive the first measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in a year. The CDC is recommending that the vaccination schedule be pushed back a few months to protect immunocompromised children from highly contagious infections.
The CDC also recommends that unvaccinated children who are at least one year old receive two doses of the measles vaccine at least 28 days apart before traveling.
The measles virus can stay in the air for two hours after a person infected with the virus has passed through the room. People can become infected if they touch a surface with virus particles, then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. People can transmit measles up to four days before and four days after developing the characteristic rash.
9 out of 10 people get it themselves from people who are not immune to the virus from a previous infection or vaccination.
Travelers with a rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes should seek medical attention, but the CDC recommends giving the clinic some advance notice before you travel, so you can take precautions to prevent possible measles outbreaks. .
The CDC says there are 46 countries Currently, they have a large number Measles, including 26 in Africa, four in Europe, eight in the Middle East, seven in Asia and two in Southeast Asia.
The United States has officially eliminated measles as a chronic infection, but the country still sees imported cases every year. These cases are mostly unvaccinated US residents who become infected during international travel.
The US is on pace for a busy year. So far In 2024, the US saw 58 cases of measles in 17 states. According to the CDC – the same number of cases in 2023 – and some spread locally.
Recent US cases have been reported in Chicago, California, Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania.
The CDC warns that all international travelers may be exposed to measles if they are not fully vaccinated at least two weeks before departure or have not had a previous case of measles.
Measles can be serious in all age groups and can cause serious complications such as pneumonia and death.
Groups at higher risk of serious complications include children under 5 years of age, adults over 20 years of age, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
Many countries have reduced childhood vaccinations. During the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 61 million measles vaccines were lost, increasing the risk of measles outbreaks. According to the CDC.
This has led to a dramatic increase in measles cases worldwide. For example, the European region, which includes the WHO's Asian division, had fewer than 1,000 measles cases in 2022 and more than 30,000 last year.
According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, the number of measles cases worldwide rose by 18 percent to 9 million last year. Measles deaths rose 43 percent to about 136,000.