#Measles Outbreak

[Nancy OShea]

Once eradicated in 2000, Measles is back & it's highly infectious.

The World Health Organization reports a 30-fold increase in European Measles cases.

https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/14-12-2023-a-30-fold-rise-of-measles-cases-in-2023-in-the-who-e...

Los Angeles County health officials have confirmed a case of measles in a local resident who recently traveled through Los Angeles International Airport while infectious. 😝

Check your vaccination status.  Monitor your health, contact your local health dept or doctor if you're experiencing any symptoms.

LA County Health Officials Confirm Local Measles Case (msn.com)

[Nancy OShea]

Also on the rise are reported cases of Polio & Tuberculosis.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/measles-and-tuberculosis-should-be-long-forgotten-why-are-cas...

Adult symptoms to childhood diseases can be very severe and lead to long term health problems. It's not too late for adults to receive child vaccines. But call your doctor's office ahead to ensure they have the vaccines in supply.  They may need to order them from the pharmacy before your visit.

[Chuck Uebele]

It's crazy! I had the measles as a kid, then got a mild case of shingles, in college, which is related to measles. Now I have the shingles vaccine. 

You mentioned calling your doctor for these vaccines. Make sure you ask if your insurance or Medicare pays for them. I scratched up my hand and head on some nails in the attic. My daughter, who's a nurse said that I should get a tetanus shot. So I made an appointment at my doctor, who was able to see me right away. However, when I got there, I was informed that Medicare does not pay for Tetanus, unless they treat you for the injury. They said Medicare would pay, if I got it at a drug store. They did give me a flu shot. At CVS, i got the shot, and it was a combo with Whopping Cough and Diphtheria. 

[Leslie Moak Murray]

Shingles is related to Chickenpox

[Chuck Uebele]

Ah, ok, I forgot which one. I had Chicken Pox, also.

[Nancy OShea]

Shingles is a Zoster/herpes virus.  It remains dormant for decades after one has been exposed to chickenpox. If you never had chickenpox, you don't need a Shingles vaccine.  Unfortunately, if you did have chickenpox, you have to be a certain age to qualify for paid Shingles/Zoster vaccine which is given in 2 stages, 1 month apart.  I think the min-age now is 55, it used to be 65 in the U.S.

DTaP protects us from infectious bacterial diseases that have the potential to kill us -- diptheria, tetanus and pertusis vaccines are given to children under age 7.  Adolescents & adults need a DPT booster every 10 years to stay protected. 

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/dtap.html

As of February 6, 2024, there are 9 states with confirmed measles cases:

[Leslie Moak Murray]

Chickenpox can be horrendous in adults. I knew someone once who got it as an adult, and it went all down her throat. When I was little and a kid on the block got it or measles, the mom would call the other moms and say Send your kids over! So we'd all get it at once and then be immune.

[Chuck Uebele]

We didn't get together with other kids, but normally my older sister got whatever was going around, then I got it, except the mumps. I just seemed to get that.

[Nancy OShea]

There are two types of Measles: 

• Red Measles (the bad kind) that can kill and cause permanent blindness & other long term complications.
• Rubella (aka German or 3-day Measles). 

As kids, you probably had the latter strain.

My high school counselor got Rubella in her 2nd term of pregnancy.  As a result, her daughter was born totally deaf.

[Chuck Uebele]

That was a long time ago, but I seemed to recall that I had the red measles. But anyone who could tell me is dead, and records are gone.

[Ricky336]

This is what happens when one does not have a reasonable knowledge of biology and an understanding of viruses and vaccination. A lack of knowledge can lead people to believe weird theories that some groups like to popularise.