Hundreds infected with measles in California hospital

Hundreds of people were exposed to measles after a child with the virus was treated at a Northern California hospital, officials said.

Sacramento and state health officials say as many as 300 people were exposed to the child, who was tested at the emergency department at UC Davis Medical Center and confirmed to have measles. The Golden county.

The boy was examined at a Sacramento hospital on March 5 from noon to 5 p.m. People who are unvaccinated or who do not know their measles vaccination status are “at risk for developing measles seven to 21 days after being exposed to measles,” according to the Sacramento County Department of Public Health. statement.

This exposure is Measles resurgence Nationwide. 4 items The following have been reported in California: one in Los Angeles County; It involved a person who arrived on a Turkish Airlines flight on January 25th. infectious Afterwards, we visited a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Northridge.

Another measles case was recently reported in San Diego County, involving a 1-year-old child who was traveling. abroad. Other people who may have been exposed were at Grossmont Children's Hospital in La Mesa on January 31st and in the emergency department at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego on February 1st.

Nationally, there have been 45 measles cases in at least 17 states so far this year. according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2023, there were a total of 58 cases.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses and can be transmitted through the air.last important 2019 was the year when there was a nationwide measles outbreak. 1,274 items — the most since 1992.

Of the cases report From January 1 to October 1, 2019, 119 people required hospitalization. Sixty patients had pneumonia and one had encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. 20% of hospitalized patients were under 1 year old. Children under 1 year of age are too young to be vaccinated.

Adding to the concerns this year is a cluster of measles cases reported last month. elementary school in florida. The state's Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, was arrested. criticism for his reaction afterwards is in decline During the outbreak, unvaccinated children are ordered to stay at home. This response goes against routine public health recommendations to exclude unvaccinated children from classrooms during outbreaks.

Ladapo has faced criticism in the past. statement About new coronavirus infection vaccination reprimanded According to officials from the CDC and Food and Drug Administration.

In Chicago, there were four cases of measles in immigrant shelters. In response, more than 900 residents of the shelter received measles vaccinations over the weekend, local health officials said.

The day before Chicago's first case was announced, authorities reported another measles case, the city's first since 2019. This case is not associated with an immigrant shelter. This person had not recently traveled outside the city, but was interacting with others who had traveled domestically and internationally.

Vaccines against measles have existed in the United States since 1963, are routinely given to children, and are highly effective. But health officials across the country are seeing what happens when vaccination rates drop.

2014-2015 Measles outbreak at Disneyland was linked to More than 140 items Most were residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and most had not been vaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown.

Factors in Disney's outbreak include declining vaccination rates, inspired in part by a 1998 Lancet report (later discredited) that linked measles vaccines to autism. It is something. The report concluded that revoked According to The Lancet magazine in 2010.

In a 2011 editorial co-authored by Dr. Fiona Godley, then editor-in-chief of the BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal), called The original Lancet report 'explained in detail' scam” The editorial says, report This book by British investigative journalist Brian Dear chronicles how lead author Andrew Wakefield manipulated data to prove what he “knew” before he began his research. This is what I did. British authorities revoked Wakefield's medical license.

Nevertheless, the damage was done. Public confidence in vaccines has declined and measles cases have increased.

Feelings about vaccines appear to have changed following the outbreak at Disneyland.Measles vaccination rate Rose Among California kindergartners, perhaps due to a 2015 change in state law. strengthened Require school children to be vaccinated against measles and other diseases.

Before this change, California parents could ask their children to be exempted from routine immunization requirements based on personal beliefs. The 2015 law only allowed medical fee exemptions for children enrolled in daycare centers and kindergartens.parents can decline Vaccinate children attending private home-based schools and off-campus independent study.

To prevent an outbreak, a very high proportion of the population (ideally more than 95%) needs to be vaccinated against measles.

Measles hits California From 1989 to 1990, more than 15,000 infections were reported and approximately 70 people died. As a result of this outbreak, health authorities have recommended adding a second dose to the measles vaccine schedule.

In 1977, Los Angeles County health officials reported two deaths from measles, three cases of brain inflammation, and numerous cases of pneumonia requiring hospitalization, according to an article in Vaccine magazine. County health officials ordered 50,000 people without proof of immunity not to attend school. Within days, “most students had proven immunity and returned to school, and the number of reported measles cases dropped sharply,” the report said.

Rates improved nationwide with the creation of a federal system. Vaccine program for children In the 1990s, it paid for vaccinations for people who couldn't afford them.

Some pediatricians in California express concern Regarding parents requesting postponement of vaccinations for young children. California doesn't track vaccination data for all children, but some pediatricians have said that since the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light more misinformation about vaccine safety. , said more parents are asking about delays.

Sacramento area health officials urge people who may have been exposed to measles to seek medical attention if they are pregnant, caring for an infant, have a weakened immune system, or have not been vaccinated. We urge you to contact your provider.

“Do not go directly to your health care provider or to the emergency department,” as you risk infecting others, the Sacramento County Department of Public Health said.

Once infected with the measles virus, symptoms appear within 7 to 14 days and include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red and watery eyes. A clear measles rash may appear several days after the first symptoms begin.

of Recommended measles vaccination schedule The first vaccination is given at 12 to 15 months of age and the second at 4 to 6 years of age.

CDC says this virus is especially dangerous for infants and young children To tell.

In general, one in five unvaccinated people in the United States will contract measles and require hospitalization. One in every 20 children who contract measles will develop pneumonia. According to the CDC, 1 in 1,000 children who contract measles develop brain swelling that can cause seizures and permanent hearing loss or intellectual disability. To tell.

The CDC states that “approximately 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children infected with measles will die from respiratory and neurological complications.”