Quad City health experts sound alarm on measles vaccines with nationwide outbreak

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (KWQC) - Fifteen states are reporting measles cases, and health officials in the Quad Cities area are sending out a message.

The best way to avoid measles is to get the MMR vaccine, according to health officials.

California, Vermont and Oklahoma reported new cases on Tuesday, and New Jersey confirmed three cases Friday, which is considered an outbreak according to the Centers for Disease Control’s definition.

However, the majority of the cases are in Texas and New Mexico, with more than 250 cases.

The CDC said the last confirmed measles death in the United States was in 2015. The agency on Tuesday posted a message on X saying that “CDC is on the ground in TX,” indicating that the state had requested federal assistance in investigating and controlling the outbreak.

While Illinois and Iowa do not have any reported cases, local health departments are concerned we could see cases in our area, and they have what you need to know about measles and how to protect yourself.

What is measles?

Measles is a respiratory disease and is a very contagious virus, according to the CDC. The virus is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It most commonly affects kids.

As far as contraction goes, measles first infects the respiratory tract, causing cough and high fever. By the third day, it then spreads throughout the body, causing a severe rash.

The rash generally begins as flat red spots on the face and spreads down the body.

These symptoms could vary or be very mild if you are already vaccinated against the disease.

While measles usually is not fatal, it certainly can be.

In children that develop measles, approximately one in every 20 develops pneumonia, according to the CDC, and about one in every 1,000 suffers swelling of the brain called encephalitis, which can lead to convulsions, deafness, or intellectual disability.

The cause of death in these kinds of cases is usually pneumonia and complications from pneumonia.

George Verástegui, public health administrator of the Rock Island County Health Department, shared that while there is no need to panic, he has reason for concern, as he believes one of the biggest reasons for the re-emergence of this disease is a lack of desire to get vaccinated.

“This virus attacks our respiratory system; in some cases, it even goes to our nerves, our brain; it can cause very severe disability in some children; that is our main concern because they manage to survive but with serious disabilities. You know my opinion, the vaccine is a very good way to protect everybody against, not just measles; we have tons of different kinds of diseases that are preventable through immunizations,” Verástegui said.

Experts biggest tip: Prevention Is Key

In the U.S., children are recommended to be vaccinated with the first shot between 12 and 15 months old, then again with the second dose between 4 and 6 years old.

A common misconception being seen is that those born before 1957 are immune to the disease. This is not necessarily true. While people born before that year were able to fight off the disease much easier than now, officials say those at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak.

Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.

“The best option to deal with measles is taking the vaccine first, or having a booster on this. Second, if we are having symptoms, the idea is to prevent spreading the disease to others. We need to protect ourselves; we need to mask ourselves. If we are in the window waiting for the results, we need to isolate,” Verástegui said.

To get a measles vaccine, you can visit your primary care doctor’s office, the local health department, or a community health clinic.

If you plan to travel to states where there are measles outbreaks, and you are already vaccinated, Verástegui recommends getting a booster vaccine first, wait 10 days to allow the immune system to adjust, and then you should be free to travel.

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