During spring break, watch out for measles

One of the most infectious diseases is rearing its head in the Chicago area and across the country: measles.

It’s estimated that one person infected with the measles virus can infect up to 18 people, and they don’t even have to be in close contact. Measles droplets can remain in the air for up to two hours, making schools, planes and airports breeding grounds for infection.

As a health care provider, this is very troubling to me because measles can be prevented with a vaccine. U.S. health authorities thought it had been wiped out in 2000, and many of today’s clinicians have never even seen a case of measles.

But the vaccination rate for measles has had a small but measurable decline below the 95% threshold that is needed for “herd immunity.” During the pandemic, when schools and institutions were requiring COVID-19 vaccines, many parents pushed back against what they saw as an assault on their parental authority, leading to this drop in vaccination rates.

It’s estimated now that only about 93% of kindergartners have received the measles vaccine, leaving a quarter of a million youngsters susceptible to the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Most of the measles cases in the U.S. have been associated with unvaccinated travelers, including those who have migrated from Central and South America. If you’re traveling during spring break to a country with low vaccination rates or a rash of outbreaks, it makes sense to protect yourself.

Are you immune?

Those of us born before 1957 lived through several years of epidemic measles before the first measles vaccine was licensed. As a result, we are very likely to have had measles at some point in our childhood. Surveys suggest that 95% to 98% of those born before 1957 are immune.

If you were born after 1957, one dose of measles vaccine is sufficient to be considered protected, according to the CDC.

Anyone who’s had two doses of the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) is protected. The recommendation is that the first dose is given between 12 to 15 months of age and the second between ages 4 and 6. The vaccine confers lifelong immunity — you never need a booster.

What if you don’t know?

If you don’t remember having measles as a kid or don’t have a vaccination record, a blood test can confirm measles immunity. But there’s no harm in receiving the MMR vaccine again. If you’re a traveler, a health care provider or in another high-risk situation, it’s recommended that you receive two doses at least 28 days apart.

For the measles vaccine to work, the body needs time to produce protective antibodies in response to the vaccine. Detectable antibodies generally appear within just a few days after vaccination. People are usually fully protected after about two or three weeks.

What are the symptoms?

We associate measles with a rash, but it’s a lot more than that. It has to be one of the most uncomfortable diseases there is.

Symptoms don’t start for seven to 14 days after infection, so you can spread measles without knowing you have it. Measles typically begins with a high fiver, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes.

Tiny white spots known as Koplik spots may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin. Three to five after the onset of symptoms, a rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. The spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body. And along with that, the person’s fever can spike to 104 degrees F.

Measles is rarely fatal, but it can require hospitalization in severe cases. There’s a 98% chance that, if you are unvaccinated or otherwise unprotected and you are exposed to someone with measles, you will catch it.

Earlier this month, the CDC issued a health advisory when the number of measles cases so far this year exceeded all of last year — and it’s only March. Health care providers are being urged to discuss measles vaccination with their patients and especially make sure that babies and children are immunized.

Measles is a disease that doesn’t have to happen. Keep yourself and your children safe by making sure their vaccines are up to date.

• Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg is a board-certified patient advocate. A critical care registered nurse for 30+ years, she is founder of NShore Patient Advocates (www.NorthShoreRN.com). Her book, “How to Be a Healthcare Advocate for Yourself & Your Loved Ones,” is available on Amazon. She is offering a free phone consultation to Daily Herald readers; email her at teri@northshorern.com.