CDC and WHO warn 40 million children are at risk

This month, the CDC and the World Health Organization announced report 40 million children worldwide are at risk of measles;

They reported that about 25 million children will miss the first dose of the measles vaccine in 2021, and about 15 million more will miss the second dose of the vaccine.

“The pandemic paradox is that while a vaccine against COVID-19 was developed in record time and deployed into the largest vaccination campaign in history, routine vaccination programs were severely disrupted, leaving millions of people Children were not getting life-saving immunizations against deadly diseases, like measles,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “Getting immunization programs on track is critical. Behind every statistic in this report are children at risk of preventable diseases.”

according to Doctor.Amesh AdaljaSenior Fellow and infectious disease expert at the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University.

Although measles has been eradicated in the United States, it continues to be endemic in many countries. other countries In recent years, outbreaks in the United States have become more common.

Outbreaks in the US can occur when unvaccinated travelers become infected abroad and bring them back to the US

A single infection can trigger a domestic chain of transmission among unvaccinated people, Adalja said.

“The virus spreads whenever it has the chance to infect an unvaccinated person,” Adalja said.

Adalja believes the outbreak will be confined to Ohio, especially if vaccination rates are high enough to prevent further spread of the virus.

“This outbreak will stop when the virus hits the wall of vaccinated individuals. [with] Case isolation and contact tracing,” Adalja said.

Doctor.Claudia HoyenA pediatric infectious disease specialist at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, is concerned about the timing of the outbreak.

“Honestly, it’s terrifying that this is happening around Thanksgiving because we know this is the time of year when people are traveling and being in close quarters with people. ‘ she said.

The potential for the outbreak to spread beyond Ohio is of great concern, Hoyen added.

Measles can be prevented by receiving Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination.

Children are recommended to be vaccinated twice. The first is given between 12 and 15 months of age, and the second between 4 and 6 years of age.

adult One dose of the MMR vaccine is recommended even for non-immune people. This is especially important for people living near or traveling around an outbreak, he says, Hoyen.

Apart from getting vaccinated, contact tracing and quarantine are the best ways to stop the spread of measles.

“Measles can be prevented by vaccination. In addition, early diagnosis and isolation can help, but vaccination of all eligible people is paramount,” said Souberbier.

evidence suggested that vaccination coverage must exceed 95% to prevent outbreaks, although measles vaccination coverage has declined in recent years.

according to CDC90.8% of children under 2 years old and 91.9% of children aged 13-17 years have received the MMR vaccine.

Hoyen suspects that MMR vaccination coverage may be even lower in Ohio areas where measles is endemic.

“Measles is the most contagious virus known and could spread if vaccination coverage drops even slightly,” Adalja said.

The COVID-19 pandemic is rejected It creates opportunities for preventable diseases like measles to spread.

“Unfortunately, vaccination coverage is low at the moment, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has allowed measles to return,” says Souverbielle.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that is transmitted through droplets expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks or breathes. ‘

Because it is highly contagious 9 out of 10 If you don’t have immunity, you will develop disease when exposed to the virus.

It usually takes 8-12 days after exposure for an infected person to develop symptoms.

The virus can shed over eight days, Souverbielle said. From 4 days before he had symptoms to 4 days after he had symptoms.

Initial symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and rash.

about 1 in 5 People with measles are hospitalized. About 1 in 1,000 people develop a severe brain infection called encephalitis, and 1 to 3 of them die from measles.

“Young children may be particularly vulnerable to complications from measles because of their immature immune systems,” says Souverbielle.

According to Hoyen, about 20% of young children with measles are hospitalized.

Some children have problems with food and hydration, some develop pneumonia, and a small minority experience acute encephalitis.

“When people think of measles, they think, ‘Oh, it’s just a rash,’ but for a significant percentage of children it’s more than just a rash, and it’s actually a hospital stay, an intensive care unit stay. , can lead to devastating neurological deficits.Consequences for others,” Hoyen said.

In Columbus, Ohio, a measles epidemic is steadily spreading among unvaccinated children. Infectious disease experts say the epidemic is due to low vaccination rates among children in the area. Measles can cause a painful rash and almost 20% of infected children are hospitalized.

The news comes as the CDC and WHO warn that millions of children worldwide are at risk of developing the disease due to low vaccination rates. .