US measles outbreak on dangerous trajectory; CDC urges vaccination
This article was originally published in Scrip
The number of measles cases in the US has hit a 20-year high for the first five months of the year – jumping to 288 spreading across 18 states since 1 January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on 29 May, warning the nation is on a dangerous trajectory if the outbreak continues on its accelerated pattern.
Dr Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases, said the spike in measles in the US has been driven by unvaccinated Americans who picked up the virus while traveling to foreign nations – mostly the Philippines, where there has been an ongoing outbreak since this past October – bringing the disease back to the US and spreading it to others in communities where many have gone unvaccinated.
"Once the virus hits the US, unimmunized people are getting infected," Dr Schuchat explained during a 29 May media briefing. "Measles anywhere in the world can reach our communities, and unvaccinated Americans are at risk."
"Measles is extremely infectious and will find you if you haven't been vaccinated," she warned.
In the Philippines, there have been over 32,000 cases of measles reported since 1 January, with at least 41 of those people dying, according to the CDC's 29 May Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
No US deaths have been reported so far this year, however.
One American community hit particularly hard has been the Amish in Ohio, which reported the largest outbreak in the US, with 138 cases, Dr Schuchat told reporters.
Other states dealing with large measles outbreaks include California, with 60, and New York, where there have been 26 reported cases in New York City alone.
Measles was declared eliminated from the US in 2000, meaning that there was no longer continuous measles transmission for more than 12 months.
The current outbreak involves the largest number of measles reported in the US by this time in the year since 1994.
"This is a wakeup call," Dr Schuchat declared.
She urged Americans to get vaccinated, making sure they’ve had two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is recommended for everyone starting at age 12 months, with a second dose given at 4-6 years.
The CDC said any American infants at least 6 months old who are traveling should receive the first dose before departing the US.
Catch-up vaccination is recommended for children and adolescents who have not received two appropriately spaced doses, the agency said.
And unless adults have other evidence of immunity, they should receive at least one dose of MMR vaccine, Dr Schuchat said.
Healthcare workers should have two doses of MMR vaccine spaced appropriately, while college students, childcare workers and international travelers are urged to do the same.
Too often the problem is adults tend to think of measles as a childhood disease, Dr Schuchat said.
"But today's report reminds us there are many adults who never have received the childhood vaccines, but are still traveling the world," she said.
"The measles vaccine is very safe and effective. But only if it's used," Dr Schuchat insisted. "We want everyone to make sure they are up to date with their measles immunizations."
The CDC first reported there was a large increase of measles in the US in April, at which time there were 129 cases in 13 states (scripintelligence.com, 25 April 2014).