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LOS ANGELES (February 23, 2024) — A highly contagious childhood disease that was once eradicated by vaccination is back.
Globally, measles cases increased by 79% in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. In 2022, the WHO estimated that measles killed more than 130,000 people, most of them children.
In the United States, during the first two months of 2024, nearly two dozen cases were reported in California, Arizona and nine other states.
“Measles is a major concern and is directly related to declining measles vaccination rates,” he said. Priya Soni, MDpediatric infectious disease specialist with Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s. “Vaccine hesitancy, fueled during the pandemic by the anti-vaccine movement, has affected vaccination rates across the country. Additionally, because children were quarantined during the pandemic, many missed well-child visits and did not catch up on their vaccines. “That has meant 61 million fewer doses distributed across the country between 2020 and 2022.”
Measles is a contagious infection, even more infectious than COVID-19. While a person with COVID-19 can infect one to three other people, a person with measles can infect up to 18 other susceptible people. This airborne virus remains infectious for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
“The great danger of measles is that it is one of the most unpredictable infections,” Soni said. “There is a very real risk of hospitalization, death or serious damage to the immune system. Even after recovering from measles, your immune system can be impaired for up to three years and you are at risk of contracting many other infections.”
Other possible complications include bacterial pneumonia and encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. Measles carries the highest risk of complications in children 5 years old and younger and adults 30 years old and older.
The measles vaccine, administered as part of the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella), is extremely effective, providing vaccinated people with a single dose up to 93% protection. The second dose confers a lifetime protection rate of up to 97%.
Although the first dose of the MMR vaccine is traditionally given to babies 12 to 15 months old, and the second around the child’s fifth or sixth birthday, Soni said babies as young as 6 months can receive the first vaccine if they travel to areas where the measles infection rate is high.
For parents concerned that their child has been exposed to measles, there are several telltale signs. One of the first are the small white spots that appear on the inside of the cheeks. These spots, called Koplik spots, are unique to measles. Children may also develop a diffuse rash of small red bumps that appear on the face but then spread to the rest of the body, along with a high fever.
“Unfortunately, there are no antivirals or treatments for measles other than resting, staying hydrated and fighting the fever with cold baths and fever-reducing medications,” Soni said.
The good news about measles is that it can be prevented with the vaccine, Soni said. But when collective MMR vaccination rates fall below 95% in a population, our “herd immunity” decreases and this can lead to outbreaks of measles in certain communities and populations.
“There is no scenario in which getting measles infection is in any way better for your child than getting the vaccine,” Soni said. “You are doing something amazing for your child and your family by vaccinating them.”
Read more on the Cedars-Sinai blog: COVID-19 and flu vaccines provide a double dose of protection