Personal Injury Law

Measles Outbreak from Unvaccinated

By Jane Akre

So far this year there have been 64 cases of measles across the U.S., that's more than in all of 2006 and record number since 2001. And the numbers are expected to rise.

Measles is a contagious disease that can be fatal. The outbreaks have been found in seven states, mostly among people who have never been vaccinated, including the very young and very old.

13 of the measles victims are under a year and too young to be vaccinated.

The largest outbreak, 22 cases, has been found in Brooklyn and may have been introduced by foreign travelers.  

54 of the 64 total cases reported are associated with measles from other countries.  63 of the 64 came from unvaccinated persons , or persons whose status is unknown (add) .

16 of the measles victims were older children whose families refused vaccinations. A number of states allow families to be exempt for religious or personal reasons.

Today the measles vaccine is contained in the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine and had reportedly never contained thimerosal, linked to autism.  Parents can check with the Institute on Vaccine Safety to keep updated on both sides of the issue.

Eight siblings from Washington State are believed to have contracted measles from a religious conference attended by about 2,000.

The CDC reports that 14 patients have been hospitalized mostly for pneumonia.

Some of the cases were reportedly contracted in clinics and doctors' offices. One baby, set to receive measles shot, apparently got measles from the visit to the doctor.

It is advised that sick children have an isolated waiting room at a doctor office. A separate examining room should be used for children suspected to have the disease, because the virus can remain active for about two hours.

Measles vaccine became available in the U.S. in 1963. Before that there were three to four million cases in the U.S. every year which also killed 400-500 children. 

About 242,000 children still die from measles worldwide ever year and 20 million cases of measles are reported every year. #

Full post as published by InjuryBoard on May 02, 2008 (boomark / email).