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Current Measles Advice and Guidance
Health authorities advise that children should receive the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine in two stages: the first dose between 12 and 15 months and the second dose between 4 and 6 years of age. The efficacy of the vaccine is about 93% after the first dose and increases to about 97% after the second dose.
Despite these recommendations, only about 92% of American children have received the MMR vaccine by the age of 2, falling short of the 95% target set by federal health objectives, as reported by the CDC in 2023.
In addition, the proportion of kindergartners meeting state-mandated measles vaccination requirements did not reach the federal goal in the 2022-23 academic year, as per CDC statistics. Moreover, the rate of exemptions from vaccinations among children has escalated to the highest level ever recorded in the country.
Misunderstanding the Severity of Symptoms
Perhaps the biggest problem behind the falling vaccination rates is a general skepticism of science (or at least medical science). Despite the clear causal link between vaccination rates and case rates, people continue to believe that the potential harms of vaccines outweigh the benefits.
Measles, in particular, is now a distant memory. The symptoms of fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and rash of red spots are forgotten. Few remember that it can cause pneumonia, encephalitis, or death. Measles has the power to “delete” itself from your immune memory after weakening the immune system.
This skepticism is often fueled by misinformation and fear, leading to a lack of understanding about the severity of diseases like measles. The consequences of this skepticism are not just theoretical; they have real-world impacts. When communities have lower vaccination rates, they are more vulnerable to outbreaks, which can have devastating effects, especially on those who are too young or medically unable to be vaccinated.
Moving Forward
Cases will continue to rise unless vaccination rates can return to the level set by the CDC and other authorities. Measles is an insidious disease, easily transmissible and potentially deadly. Around 20% of unvaccinated people who contract measles will become hospitalized.
Outbreaks almost always occur in unvaccinated communities – such as the 2018-19 Measles Outbreak in Rockland County, New York. With the highest number of cases since 1992, vaccine skepticism and failing vaccination rates threaten to reverse a generation of improvements.
Only by arguing the case for vaccines and showing real-world examples of success can we remember why vaccination was implemented in the first place: it saves lives.
Written by: Emmanuel J. Osemota
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