The measles virus can be very dangerous and it's not just a simple rash. Measles can cause fevers as high as 104 degrees and is normally accompanied by various other symptoms such as coughing. These symptoms usually arise a week or two after coming in contact with the virus.
The virus is especially dangerous for toddlers and young children as it is highly contagious. However, recent spikes in measles cases worldwide is a frightening reality. The once, seemingly eradicated disease has made an impressive comeback over the last couple of years-actually quadrupling the verified cases since this time last year.
As a matter of fact, four European countries, including the UK, recently lost their measles-free status after reportedly eliminating the virus in 2016. This is especially troubling considering the British government offers free vaccinations for children.
Shortly after gaining the measles-free status, England and Wales saw an incredible rise in confirmed cases, jumping from 284 cases in 2017 to a whooping 991 cases in 2018.
The recent rise in measles cases is particularly scary considering that before 1963-when the vaccine was made available-measles was responsible for an "estimated 2.6 million deaths each year", according to the WHO.
It's not just Europe either, New Zealand has recently hit a dreaded milestone of more than 1,000 confirmed cases of the highly contagious disease since the beginning of this year. The Health Ministry has issued a statement asking that people from as young as 12 months old to as old as 50 get vaccinated. Out of the 1,051 people infected, 877 of those cases were confirmed in New Zealand's largest city, Auckland.
Immunisation Advisory Centre director Dr. Nikki Turner says that the reaching of this milestone is "very sad."
"This was entirely predictable and preventable, so it is very disappointing for us," she says.
New Zealand health authorities have also issued statements advising the people of New Zealand to "stay away from work, school or public places, to prevent putting other people at risk".
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention advises all travelers heading for New Zealand to be vaccinated at least two weeks prior to their trip. Albeit, traveling to New Zealand, especially Auckland, may be the worst possible idea at this time.
The cause for the resurgence of this disease in developed countries isn't necessarily a mystery. Perhaps the growing trend of parents foregoing routine vaccinations, known as anti-vaxxers, is the root cause for such a sharp increase in verified measles cases.
These parents and activists sometimes cite religious reasons for opting out of the vaccines and some believe vaccinations are directly linked to autism in children, which simply is not true, according to kidshealth.org.
