United States: There has been an outburst of measles cases at the Manatee Bay Elementary School of Weston, Florida where six people have been diagnosed with the disease.
The Florida Department of Health in Broward County addressing the local health care providers on Friday mentioned a case of measles in a third grader with no prior history has been diagnosed.
Other three cases discovered at the elementary school came to light, after getting confirmed one by one on Monday, with the latest one diagnosed on Tuesday.
No information about the ages or grades of the patients has been released by the authorities.
The health department of the county’s advisory on Sunday said it was “working with all partners, including Broward County Public Schools and local hospitals, to identify contacts that are at risk of transmission.”
As per the reports, it is not yet confirmed whether the infected kids are vaccinated, NBC 6 South Florida reports.
Vaccination for measles
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine’s two doses are said to be 97 percent effective as per the experts.
Actions to avoid further spawn of measles at the school
The Communications and legislative affairs officer for the Broward County Public School District, John J. Sullivan said in a statement made on Monday, that over the weekend, it “took further preventive measures by conducting a deep cleaning of the school premises and replacing its air filters.”
As per the district authorities, while following its regular schedule on Tuesday, the sixth case of measles came to light in the same evening.
It added further in the statement, “We expect to receive further guidance from the Florida Department of Health tomorrow and will continue to keep the school and its families updated with the latest information.” as NBC News reported.
According to the health department in Broward County statement, it is “carrying out an epidemiological investigation” of the measles outbreak and working to identify close contacts of those diagnosed, but ‘all details regarding the investigation are confidential.'”
Vaccination for measles
Experts say that of the two doses of MMR vaccine, up to 97 percent can be effective.
During the 2020- 21 school year, the national immunization rate was 95 percent. The World Health Organization (WHO) was the one who named 95 percent of the immunity from measles as the bar of success.
About the measles
Measles is a highly contagious disease. Its symptoms generally started to appear within a week or two after contracting the infection. It involves cough, runny nose, fever, and red watery eyes.
A couple of days later, small, white spots start to appear inside the mouth of the infected followed by a rash made up of flat, red spots initiating from the face and spreading to the neck, torso, and limbs.
Of measles among the unvaccinated in the US, 1 out of 5 require hospitalization due to severe complications. One in 20 measles cases among children develops into pneumonia, the major killer of children who are infected with the disease, as NBC News reported.
Individuals who are not eligible for vaccination or are immunocompromised are also susceptible to swelling of the brain or even death.
New measles cases reported in the US
As of Thursday, 20 measles cases had already been reported, affecting 11 states. In addition to this, Philadelphia experienced an outbreak of at least 8 confirmed cases in the past month, the CDC says.
The health agency gave the health providers a caution to actively look for more cases last month. In our previous year, a total of 58 cases were reported.
Reasons cited for current measles cases by the experts
According to Dr. Charles Mitchell, a professor of pediatric infectious disease at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine- the latest measles outbreaks might have resulted from rising vaccine hesitancy.
According to NBC News, Mitchell said, “My suspicion is that there is unfortunately some questioning of utility or the acceptance of vaccines,” and, “I think going forward, I would not be surprised if we begin to see the recurrence of these cases. I mean, the fact that you have five cases of measles at this one elementary school suggests to me that the rate of vaccination may have fallen off.”
He also stressed that the MMR vaccine is very important in terms that there are no treatments or cures available yet for the disease.
Mitchell added, “I suspect that some people have lost their fear,” and, “I don’t think they remember what it was like back in the ’60s or ’70s.”