Health officials in Nevada County, California are worried about a possible measles outbreak after a student tested positive for measles in a school with a large number of unvaccinated children.
An unnamed student who attends the Yuba River Charter School showed symptoms of measles earlier this month after travelling overseas.
Symptoms of measles can include fever, skin rash, sore throat, diarrhea, ear infections, and pneumonia. More rare, serious side effects such as encephalitis or death can occur among children younger than five, in those with weakened immune systems, and in adults over 20.
Dr. Karen Smith, the State Public Health Officer at the California Department of Public Health, said the child has recovered from the illness. Now, health officials are worried that other children may have been exposed.
Officials are concerned because the measles virus is one of the most contagious viruses on the planet. Unprotected people exposed to the virus have a 90 percent chance of becoming infected. The virus is airborne, so even a person who enters a room that an infected person was in hours earlier can be exposed.
Dr. Karen Smith explained, “As the state’s public health officer, it’s concerning to receive a report of a child with measles because it’s a disease that can easily be prevented. Immunization is the best way to protect against the measles. Two doses of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine are approximately 97 percent effective at preventing disease in exposed persons.”
This, combined with the fact that Yuba River Charter School is classified as “most vulnerable” to outbreak, makes for a potentially dangerous situation. Only 44 percent of the kindergarten class at Yuba is up-to-date on their MMR shots. Health officials advise that vaccination rates should be at 95 percent in order to successfully create a “herd immunity” to protect the students from potential outbreak.
This instance is one of many in which the anti-vaxx, anti-science movement has endangered the health of many. The CDC notes that in 2015, 125 cases of measles were linked to two Disney theme parks in Orange County, California. Orange County is another county in California with deplorably low low vaccination rates.
Featured image via Flikr by Dave Haygarth available under a Creative Commons license
