Feb. 3, 2015 10:24 p.m. ET
1. Should I worry my children will get measles?
If they have been vaccinated, the chances are low. Two doses of vaccine, most commonly given as the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) combination, is 97% effective at preventing measles, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means three out of 100 people who receive the two doses still will get measles if exposed to the virus. (One dose is 93% effective.) And that protection lasts a lifetime, said William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville.
2. Should unvaccinated people concern me?
Unvaccinated people can spread measles to babies under a year old, who are too young to be vaccinated, and to children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, such as some with cancer or serious immune-system disorders. These children have seriously weakened immune systems, and therefore can’t be subjected to the weakened viruses contained in MMR vaccine. who become infected They could even spread the disease to a few vaccinated people because the vaccine isn’t 100% effective. Unvaccinated people pose a risk to all of these groups. “We’re in this together,” Dr. Schaffner says.
3. Can the vaccine hurt my children?
Numerous studies in a variety of populations in a variety of countries have all debunked the theory that measles vaccine or MMR might cause autism, including a 2004 review of epidemiological studies by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. The original 1998 study that suggested a possible link between MMR and autism was retracted by the medical journal that published it; the journal called the author’s work “irresponsible and dishonest.” There also is “no evidence” that vaccines can overwhelm a child’s immune system, as some parents fear, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “Studies show that a child’s immune system is perfectly capable of managing several immunizations simultaneously,” he said. MMR, like most vaccines, does have rare side effects. Mild side effects include fever, rash or swelling of glands. Temporary low platelet count, which can temporarily cause a bleeding disorder, occurs in about 1 of every 30,000 doses, according to the CDC. Serious allergic reactions occur in less than one out of a million doses, the CDC says. “Getting MMR vaccine is much safer than getting measles, mumps or rubella,” it says.
4. Is America at risk for a major measles epidemic?
Thanks to generally high levels of vaccination, the U.S. is unlikely to see a sickly child on every block. But “our standard is zero” cases, Dr. Schaffner said. “So, yes, this [current outbreak] is a major public health problem. We should not tolerate this amount of measles.”
5. Can measles be deadly?
Yes. One or two out of every 1,000 children who contract measles die from it, the CDC says. Globally, some 145,700 children died from it in 2013.
— Measles deaths have declined sharply over the past several years due to vaccination. Measles also can lead to pneumonia, swelling of the brain, deafness, seizures and mental retardation. Young children are at particular risk of complications and death. In addition, measles may cause pregnant women to give birth prematurely, or have babies with low birth weight, the CDC says. Before measles vaccination became common in the U.S. in 1963, 400 to 500 people a year died from it, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 1,000 developed chronic disability, according to the CDC.
—Jeanne Whalen
1. Should I worry my children will get measles?
If they have been vaccinated, the chances are low. Two doses of vaccine, most commonly given as the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) combination, is 97% effective at preventing measles, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means three out of 100 people who receive the two doses still will get measles if exposed to the virus. (One dose is 93% effective.) And that protection lasts a lifetime, said William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville.
2. Should unvaccinated people concern me?
Unvaccinated people can spread measles to babies under a year old, who are too young to be vaccinated, and to children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, such as some with cancer or serious immune-system disorders. These children have seriously weakened immune systems, and therefore can’t be subjected to the weakened viruses contained in MMR vaccine. who become infected They could even spread the disease to a few vaccinated people because the vaccine isn’t 100% effective. Unvaccinated people pose a risk to all of these groups. “We’re in this together,” Dr. Schaffner says.
3. Can the vaccine hurt my children?
Numerous studies in a variety of populations in a variety of countries have all debunked the theory that measles vaccine or MMR might cause autism, including a 2004 review of epidemiological studies by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. The original 1998 study that suggested a possible link between MMR and autism was retracted by the medical journal that published it; the journal called the author’s work “irresponsible and dishonest.” There also is “no evidence” that vaccines can overwhelm a child’s immune system, as some parents fear, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “Studies show that a child’s immune system is perfectly capable of managing several immunizations simultaneously,” he said. MMR, like most vaccines, does have rare side effects. Mild side effects include fever, rash or swelling of glands. Temporary low platelet count, which can temporarily cause a bleeding disorder, occurs in about 1 of every 30,000 doses, according to the CDC. Serious allergic reactions occur in less than one out of a million doses, the CDC says. “Getting MMR vaccine is much safer than getting measles, mumps or rubella,” it says.
4. Is America at risk for a major measles epidemic?
Thanks to generally high levels of vaccination, the U.S. is unlikely to see a sickly child on every block. But “our standard is zero” cases, Dr. Schaffner said. “So, yes, this [current outbreak] is a major public health problem. We should not tolerate this amount of measles.”
5. Can measles be deadly?
Yes. One or two out of every 1,000 children who contract measles die from it, the CDC says. Globally, some 145,700 children died from it in 2013.
— Measles deaths have declined sharply over the past several years due to vaccination. Measles also can lead to pneumonia, swelling of the brain, deafness, seizures and mental retardation. Young children are at particular risk of complications and death. In addition, measles may cause pregnant women to give birth prematurely, or have babies with low birth weight, the CDC says. Before measles vaccination became common in the U.S. in 1963, 400 to 500 people a year died from it, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 1,000 developed chronic disability, according to the CDC.
—Jeanne Whalen
via Smart Health Shop Forum http://ift.tt/1u5ZAKy
No comments:
Post a Comment