(Illustration by Michael S. Helfenbein and Jerry Domian)
A recent measles outbreak has sparked anew a long-simmering debate about the safety of common childhood immunizations. YaleNews turned to expert Dr. Marietta Vazquez, associate professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine, for an update and her take on the controversy, which has caused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a health advisory to providers, and even President Obama to express his support for vaccines. What is the cause of the recent measles outbreak? The United States is currently experiencing a large, multi-state outbreak of measles linked to cases reported at DisneyLand in California. As of last month, 102people from 14 states are reported to have measles. The current outbreak likely started from a traveler who became infected overseas with measles, then visited the amusement park while infectious. However, no source has been identified. Travelers bring measles in the country, where the disease is spread primarily to unvaccinated individuals - either infants too young to receive the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine or those who have chosen, or whose parents have chosen, to avoid the vaccine. Measles is a serious respiratory disease caused by a highly contagious virus. It spreads through the air when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. The infection can also cause serious health complications, such as pneumonia or encephalitis, and even death. Children younger than 5 years of age and adults older than 20 are at high risk of getting a serious case of measles. About 1 in 4 unvaccinated people in the United States who get measles will be hospitalized, and about 1 in 500 may die. What should healthcare providers and the general public do about measles?
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