This week I read another article about the dramatic increase in measles in many countries, this time in CNN’s online health newsletter. They reported that the number of measles cases in 2019 is already the second highest in the last 25 years (with just 3 months reported so far): 555 cases reported in US, and 33 in Canada. Over 110,000 cases have been reported globally in the first quarter of this year, almost 3 times the number reported in the same period last year. The World Health Organization estimates that fewer than 1 in 10 cases are reported, however, so actual numbers would be much greater.
Why is it increasing?
Experts believe one reason is due to lack of vaccination. While some families lack access to routine vaccines, some parents choose not to vaccinate their children. Negative information about vaccines has been circulating on social media for years, with exaggerated warnings of the dangers of routine vaccinations, and no discussion about the benefits of vaccines and the many lives that they save every year.
How safe are vaccines?
As a pharmacist, I was trained to give vaccines and had to complete many hours of training, learning extensive information about vaccines, how they work, their effectiveness, negative reactions that could be expected (and how often they happen) and how to ensure they are used safely. I learned that vaccines are considered the most effective health strategy in history, having saved more lives than any other health intervention, including antibiotics. While some true reactions to vaccines do occur rarely, and certain individuals need to avoid vaccines or take them in a controlled setting such as a hospital or doctor’s office, the overall benefit of routine vaccines is much greater than the risk for the vast majority of people. Those who give vaccines are trained to watch for any sign of a reaction and treat it quickly. The most serious reaction to vaccines is anaphylaxis, a total body allergic reaction that can be fatal, and it occurs in 1.3 per million people who are vaccinated.
Much of the anti-vaccine movement is based on an incorrect article published in the ‘90s that reported autism was associated with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. This article that started the controversy in 1998 was since withdrawn by its publisher but is still quoted widely despite overwhelming proof it was incorrect. You can read about it here.
Unfortunately, this article is still being shared widely on social media, and the result is that children are getting sick in record numbers. Some have even died from a disease that’s entirely preventable with a vaccine. These diseases have been so well controlled for so many years, that younger generations don’t realize how serious these illnesses can be.
Is measles serious?
Here is what the Center for Disease Control (US) lists as problems that occur when large numbers of children have measles:
1 in 10 develop ear infections that can result in permanent hearing loss
Diarrhea occurs in close to 1 in 10 children
1 in 20 children develop pneumonia (most common cause of death)
About 1 in 1000 develop encephalitis (brain swelling) that can cause convulsions, deafness or intellectual disability
For every 1000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a fatal brain disease that rarely develops 7 to 10 years after an apparent full recovery from measles. It is estimated to occur in 4 to 11 per 100,000 cases of measles.
Think of others...
Some people truly cannot tolerate certain vaccines and others, who are ill, may not respond adequately to them. If enough of a population is protected, however, there aren’t enough susceptible people left to spread the disease and create an epidemic. They call this “herd immunity”… the whole “herd” or population is protected when enough people get vaccinated. Because MMR vaccine has been avoided by too many people in certain areas of the world, we are again seeing outbreaks of mumps and measles. When you get vaccinated, you are protecting not only yourself but others you are in contact with who could catch the virus from you.
If you have doubts or questions about any vaccines, please talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Update from World Health Organization (posted April 25, 2019)
Measles cases have increased 300 per cent in just a year
Univadis Medical News
Sent 25 April 2019
Preliminary data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) show measles cases are continuing to rise, with reported cases increasing by 300 per cent in the first three months of 2019 compared with the same period in 2018. According to the data, 170 countries have reported 112,163 measles cases to the WHO so far this year. In April 2018, there were 28,124 measles cases from 163 countries.
The WHO said a number of countries are in the midst of “sizeable measles outbreaks”, with all regions of the world experiencing a sustained rise in cases. It said in recent months, there had been spikes in case numbers in countries with high overall vaccination coverage, including the United States of America, Israel, Thailand and Tunisia, "as the disease has spread fast among clusters of unvaccinated people". Earlier this month, authorities in New York declared an emergency amid a measles outbreak in parts of Brooklyn.
The WHO said responding to measles would require a range of approaches to ensure all children get their vaccines on time, as well as "effective public-facing communication and engagement on the critical importance of vaccination, and the dangers of the diseases they prevent".
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