Ishita Roy

Measles Outbreak In Texas, Vaccination Rates Remain At An All Time Low

Measles

Amid the many new health developments in the US, a <span>measles</span> outbreak is growing in a county in Texas. What is critical and concerning is the extremely low <span>vaccination</span> rates. In late January, two school-age children in the Gaines county were hospitalized with measles, and as of February 7, there were at least 9 confirmed cases and 3 probably cases, said the executive director of South Plain Public Health District, which also includes Gaines, Zach Holbrooks. As per the estimates, at least 1 in 5 people with the disease are hospitalized, with 2 cases suggesting a larger outbreak. 

The department of health is now investigating other potential cases, among with close contacts and is in hopes to treat people quickly to curb the spread of the virus. However, the public health practitioners are warning that such outbreaks may become more common due to a lower rate of vaccination. They warn of the certain laws, pending and passed, which allow the parents to exempt their children from school vaccine requirements. Furthermore, the misinformation around vaccine also leads to lower rates of vaccination.

Most people who get measles are not protected by vaccines. In fact, Gaines County is one of the lowest counties that has childhood vaccination in Texas. There are reports that say that vaccination rates could even be lower at private schools and within homeschool groups that do not report the information.

Reports mention that 95% of the people must be vaccinated against measles for a community to be well protected. The threshold is high enough to protect infants who may be too young for the vaccine.

It is an extremely contagious disease and dates back to at least 7th century as per the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Pink Book's Chapter 13 on Measles. IT is caused by the measles virus, which is part of the Morbillivirus genus. 

As per the World Health Organization, measles can affect anyone, but is most common in children. It infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body. 

It was in 1757, when a Scottish physician Francis Home demonstrated that measles is caused by an infectious agent in the blood of patients. Then in 1912, it became a nationally notifiable disease in the United States, and thus required the US healthcare providers and laboratories to reported all diagnosed cases. There were at least 6,000 measles-related deaths in the first year. 

In 1962, nearly all children by the age of 15 got measles, and the vaccine was finally made available in 1963. As per the CDC, at least 3 to 4 million people each year in the United States are infected. The average number of people who die each year due to the disease in between 400 to 400, for hospitalization, it is 48,000, and 1,000 of them suffered encephalitis or swelling of the brain.

Symptoms usually begin 10 to 14 days after exposure to the virus and last for 4 to 7 days:

The WHO notes that the best way to prevent one from measles is through vaccination. Furthermore, the WHO also notes that the COVID-19 pandemic led to several setbacks in surveillance and immunization efforts against measles, and thus it is more so important to strengthen such efforts through vaccinations. 

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Amid the many new health developments in the US, a measles outbreak is growing in a county in Texas. What is critical and concerning is the extremely low vaccination rates. In late January, two school-age children in the Gaines county were hospitalized with measles, and as of February 7, there were at least 9 confirmed cases and 3 probably cases, said the executive director of South Plain Public Health District, which also includes Gaines, Zach Holbrooks. As per the estimates, at least 1 in 5 people with the disease are hospitalized, with 2 cases suggesting a larger outbreak. The department of health is now investigating other potential cases, among with close contacts and is in hopes to treat people quickly to curb the spread of the virus. However, the public health practitioners are warning that such outbreaks may become more common due to a lower rate of vaccination. They warn of the certain laws, pending and passed, which allow the parents to exempt their children from school vaccine requirements. Furthermore, the misinformation around vaccine also leads to lower rates of vaccination.Vaccination and MeaslesMost people who get measles are not protected by vaccines. In fact, Gaines County is one of the lowest counties that has childhood vaccination in Texas. There are reports that say that vaccination rates could even be lower at private schools and within homeschool groups that do not report the information.Reports mention that 95% of the people must be vaccinated against measles for a community to be well protected. The threshold is high enough to protect infants who may be too young for the vaccine.What is measles?It is an extremely contagious disease and dates back to at least 7th century as per the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Pink Book's Chapter 13 on Measles. IT is caused by the measles virus, which is part of the Morbillivirus genus. As per the World Health Organization, measles can affect anyone, but is most common in children. It infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body. It was in 1757, when a Scottish physician Francis Home demonstrated that measles is caused by an infectious agent in the blood of patients. Then in 1912, it became a nationally notifiable disease in the United States, and thus required the US healthcare providers and laboratories to reported all diagnosed cases. There were at least 6,000 measles-related deaths in the first year. In 1962, nearly all children by the age of 15 got measles, and the vaccine was finally made available in 1963. As per the CDC, at least 3 to 4 million people each year in the United States are infected. The average number of people who die each year due to the disease in between 400 to 400, for hospitalization, it is 48,000, and 1,000 of them suffered encephalitis or swelling of the brain.Symptoms usually begin 10 to 14 days after exposure to the virus and last for 4 to 7 days:High feverCoughRunny noseRash all over the bodyThe WHO notes that the best way to prevent one from measles is through vaccination. Furthermore, the WHO also notes that the COVID-19 pandemic led to several setbacks in surveillance and immunization efforts against measles, and thus it is more so important to strengthen such efforts through vaccinations. 