About 82 children of which 32 are hospitalized due to a measles outbreak in central Ohio, and experts fear the once-conquered virus may resurface. Columbus officials confirmed the diagnoses and reported that 74 of those infected had been confirmed to be unvaccinated against measles, while four of them were only partially immunized.
Measles once caused severe illnesses but was slowly stopped when an effective vaccine was released in 1968. The US declared measles to no longer be an endemic illness in the year 2000. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced vaccination rates around the world, and experts are concerned about the declining immunity that would allow the pathogens to resurface.
In this handout from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the skin of a patient after three days of measles infection is seen at a New York hospital in 1958.
Ohio Measles Outbreak
Columbus Public Health authorities first reported the disease outbreak in early November, while the earliest confirmed cases are now thought to have occurred in mid-October.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that causes flu-like symptoms and a characteristic rash. Although most of the infected children are mild cases, very young children are at a higher risk of serious, life-threatening consequences. Even a mild case of measles can have far-reaching consequences because the virus can reset a person's immunity to subsequent illnesses.
Fortunately, the combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination is a safe and highly effective two-dose vaccine that has helped drive measles out of local circulation in many countries, including the United States.
The current measles outbreak in Ohio involved infants who were too young to get vaccinations, but 66% of cases were children aged one to five, indicating that they were eligible for immunization. As a result, many or most of these children are likely to have parents who refused to get them vaccinated.
The first few years of COVID-19 showed a decrease in reported measles cases globally. However, the virus is projected to make a strong comeback this year, due to disrupted youth immunization programs and increasing anti-vaccination sentiment worldwide. The World Health Organization considers measles to be an immediate public health danger in every part of the world.
Although the number of new cases in Ohio has decreased in recent weeks, the outbreak may not be done, Gizmodo reported. CPH statistics say that the most recent occurrence happened on December 19. Measles is most infectious four days before and four days after the rash emerges, and symptoms of a new case might arise up to two weeks later.
READ ALSO: Newly Discovered Virus Suggests That German Measles Might've Come From Animals
Increasing Anti-Vaccination May Cause Measles To Resurface
According to a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey, more than a third of parents with children under the age of 18 and 28% of all adults believe parents should be able to choose not to vaccinate their children for MMR in order for their children to attend public schools, even if doing so may pose health risks to others.
Jen Kates, a senior vice president at Kaiser, said public opposition to vaccination requirements has increased dramatically since the pandemic. Meanwhile, a 2019 Pew Research Center study found that less than a quarter of parents and 16% of all Americans reject school immunization regulations.
The Washington Post reported that herd immunity would have protected the mother from such childhood ailments in the past. However, as anti-vaccine sentiment rises, parents now believe that protection is eroding.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that children receive two doses of MMR vaccination, the first between the ages of 12 and 15 months and the second between the ages of 4 and 6 years.
One dosage of the vaccine is around 93% effective in preventing measles, while two doses are approximately 97% effective in avoiding the illness.
RELATED ARTICLE: WHO Declares Measles as a Growing Global Threat As Over 40 Million Kids Missed Doses of Vaccine
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