Should Tennessee parents be worried about the first confirmed measles case?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Tennessee has now joined 16 other states with at least one confirmed case of measles, but should you be concerned about getting it? Doctors say it depends on your vaccination status.
“We have the power to stop measles,” pediatrician at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Dr. Buddy Creech told WSMV. “Vaccination is 99% effective in preventing cases of measles.”
The latest case in Tennessee has some like nanny Emily Lewis worried about bringing her kids to crowded places.
“We’re literally out in our community every day,” Lewis said. “As a nanny, I know most signs and symptoms to look out for when it comes to the common cold or the flu or even like RSV or Hand, Foot, Mouth, but something that is more contagious, and it’s like not necessarily normal, it’s a little scary. It makes you kind of want to stay inside your house.”
Dr. Creech says if you were born before 1957, you’ve had two doses of the vaccine or you’ve been infected with measles in the past, you’re presumed immune. He says for those people, there isn’t much to worry about.
“In the current outbreak, 95 percent of those who have been infected have been unvaccinated,” Creech said.
He says those who have only had one shot or aren’t sure of their vaccination status should talk to their doctor to make sure they’re as protected as possible.
“Many times what we will recommend is simply giving another dose of the MMR because it is so safe and effective,” he said.
If you or your child is unvaccinated for measles, Dr. Creech says now is the time to get the shot.
" It’s not too late to get it,” he said. “In fact, for those parents of younger children who are in that six-month to one-year period where antibodies from mom have gone away but they’re not yet scheduled to be vaccinated, stay in touch with your pediatrician because many of us may start vaccinating just a little bit early in order to protect against measles in that particularly vulnerable population.”
The Tennessee Department of Health is still working to determine how the person in Middle Tennessee was infected and who else they may have had contact with. Dr. Creech says they’re also working to stop the spread by staying on top of testing, educating pediatricians on signs and symptoms of the disease, and making sure schools with a high rate of under-vaccinated students are prepared.
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