Four Children Contract Measles In Southwest Idaho Unvaccinated Kids

Four confirmed measles cases have been reported in Nampa, Idaho. At the residence of the first measles case, which was reported by public health authorities on September 20, all of the children were unvaccinated and exposed.

Measles is a disease that spreads quickly. A virus that can be detected in children’s or adults’ nose and throat is what causes measles. Measles-transmitting droplets are released into the air when a person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, where they might be inhaled by others. For almost an hour, the contagious droplets might linger in the air.

The four cases are unvaccinated children – Officials Said

The contagious droplets may also touch down on a surface, where they can survive and spread for a number of hours. By wiping your eyes or putting your fingers in your mouth or nose after touching a contaminated surface, you could contract the measles virus.

High-risk groups for measles complications and severe sickness include Infants and children under the age of five, adults older than 20, expecting mothers, and individuals whose immune systems have been impaired by diseases like leukemia and HIV.

From roughly four days before the rash develops until four days later, measles is extremely contagious. 90% of individuals who have never had measles or who haven’t had the measles vaccine will contract the disease when exposed to an individual who has the virus. Despite growing measles vaccination rates globally, measles still claims the lives of more than 200,000 people annually, the majority of whom are children.

Dr. Christine Hahn, state epidemiologist for Idaho and head of the Division of Public Health at the Department of Health and Welfare, said that they are concerned to see this spread but not shocked. Measles is extremely contagious, and they hope that the disease does not spread further within the neighborhood.

After being exposed to measles, you should call your doctor and keep an eye out for symptoms for 21 days. The measles can cause a rash, runny nose, cough, and fever. Even though measles is typically thought of as a pediatric illness, anyone can get it. Encephalitis, pneumonia, and occasionally even death are examples of serious consequences. Measles has no specific therapy. People with measles symptoms should get in touch with their doctor and avoid going into pharmacies, clinics, or other healthcare facilities without first calling to make sure those places are ready to prevent the spread of the illness.

Ricky Bowman, epidemiology program manager with Southwest District Health, said that they are again reminding everyone that the best way to protect yourself and your family against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases is by immunizing yourself with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which protects against all three diseases. Never depend on the vaccines of others to keep you safe. The best defense is the immunization of both you and your children.

The MMR vaccine is accessible at numerous pharmacies and medical clinics. Children should receive the vaccination for the first time between the ages of 12 and 15 months, followed by a booster shot between the ages of 4 and 6. Although children as young as 6 months are occasionally advised to get the MMR vaccine if they are traveling outside of the country or could become sick during an outbreak, the MMR vaccine is typically given for the first time at 12 months of age in the United States.

Southwest District Health and other regional health districts are continuously monitoring people who may have been exposed and informing those individuals. It is still likely that some individuals who were only briefly exposed were unnoticed by public health authorities.

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