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What is measles? What you need to know about the cases, the symptoms and the vaccine in Texas – Lubbockonline.com

What is measles? What you need to know about the cases, the symptoms and the vaccine in Texas – Lubbockonline.com

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Lubbock saw its first measles case for 21 years last week and is among several Texas communities to see positive cases in Texas this month, including Harris County and Gaines County.

This prompted the Texas Department of State Health Services to insist that people be vigilant this time. The recent detection of cases in Lubbock has also encouraged Lubbock health officials to provide details on the latter cases and call for caution, as measles are highly infected and unvaccinated persons being vaccinated.

“If you are fully vaccinated, the likelihood of having measles is very, very low,” said Dr. Ron Cook, Community health organ at a press conference.

With this is a developing situation, here are key topics you need to know about measles to help you inform.

What is measles?

According to the Mayo clinic, measles is a serious and fatal baby virus. The measles death rate decreases worldwide, but still kills about 200,000 people a year.

The clinic also states that the United States has not faced a broad epidemic in the last 20 years. However, the latter cases of the United States tend to originate outside the country and in those who are not vaccinated.

However, although it strongly affects children, adults can still get measles.

What are the symptoms of measles?

According to the Boston Children’s Hospital, the symptoms of measles are as follows:

  • Hacker cough.
  • Redness and irritation of the eyes.
  • Fever.
  • Small red spots with white centers that appear on the inside of the cheek – they usually appear two days before the skin rash occurs.
  • A rash described as deep, red and flat, beginning on the face and spreads down to the trunk, arms and legs; This rash usually begins as small, distinct lesions, which are then combined as a large rash.
  • Koplick spots – white spots in the mouth
  • Liquid nose.
  • Sore throat.
  • Red eyes.
  • Cough.
  • Pain in the body.

According to the hospital, it takes between eight and 12 days to allow children to develop symptoms of measles, but this can be one to two days before the onset of symptoms and three to five days after the development of the rash.

What is the mortality rate of measles?

Dr. Cook at the Lubbock press conference said 1 in 1,000 people die of measles. According to disease control centers, this is less than the flu mortality from 1.8 to 1000.

How is a measles contract?

The Mayo clinic states that healthy people can get the virus every time an infected person cough, sneeze or conversations, and infected droplets spray in the air where other people can breathe them.

Infected droplets can also survive on surfaces for a few hours, and healthy people can infect it when they touch an infected surface, then put their fingers in their mouth or nose or rub their eyes.

“About 90% of people who did not have measles or have been vaccinated against measles will become infected when exposed to someone with the measles virus,” the clinic reported.

Is there a cure for measles?

According to John Hopkins medicine, antibiotics do not work on measles as it is a virus and only work to help measles complications such as ear infections, pneumonia, breathing problems, diarrhea and infection of Brain

How do you protect yourself from measles?

The best way to prevent infection is through the vaccine – the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR), according to the Medicine John Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic and the Boston Children’s Hospital.

According to John Hopkins medicine, it is recommended that children receive two doses of vaccine against MMR-one in 12 to 15 months and the second at 4-6 years.

In addition, it is stated that “receiving the vaccine up to three days after Exposure to measles can prevent the disease “for children who are not vaccinated.

What is in the MMR vaccine?

Dr. Cook said the MMR vaccine is a live vaccine different from the Covid-19 vaccine, which is a MRNA vaccine. The vaccine has also existed for decades.

But is the vaccine safe for alive? Yes, according to John Hopkins medicine.

“The vaccine contains a lively but weakened form of the measles virus, which is designed to create immunity without causing complete diseases,” says John Hopkins Medicine.

In addition, it is stated that the MMR vaccine is not related to causing autism or other neurological or developmental problems.

While safe for the general population, Cook said that those with immunocompromised systems or take immunocompromising cancer drugs or certain diseases should contact their doctors before receiving the vaccine.

Cook also said it was normal for people who get the vaccine to see a rash for a few days after, but this is not a cause for alarm.

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