Measles outbreak NYC

4eyes

Tue, Feb 25 2014, 9:25 am

https://a816-health29ssl.nyc.g.....s.pdf

6 cases of measles in NYC in the past week!

vintagebknyc

Fri, Mar 14 2014, 11:55 am

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/st.....62035

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City health officials have identified 3 more cases of measles.

Residents from Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn have acquired measles, officials said. The outbreak remains centered in Northern Manhattan. Five hospitalizations have occurred as a result of this outbreak. Cases range in age from 3 months to 63 years.

Health officials issued a measles advisory after confirming cases in northern Manhattan and the Bronx last week.

At least two cases were transmitted right in a doctor's office, officials said.

"One can understand how that happened, but that's exactly why we're trying to minimize the opportunity for future exposure," said Dr. Jane Zucker of the New York City Health Department.

New Yorkers are urged to make sure all household members, including young children, are vaccinated. To date, there have been four hospitalizations as a result of this outbreak.

The outbreak impacts the following zip codes: 10034, 10040, 10033, 10032, 10451, and 10453, which include northern Manhattan and the Melrose and Morris Heights sections of the Bronx.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection characterized by a generalized rash and high fever, accompanied by cough, red eyes, and runny nose, lasting five to six days. The illness typically begins with a rash on the face and then moves down the body, and may include the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

People who contract the measles virus can spread the infection for four days before developing a rash and for four days after the rash sets in. Measles can spread easily through the air to unprotected individuals. If you suspect you have measles, call and explain your symptoms to your doctor or medical provider before leaving to avoid exposing others to the measles virus.

The Department of Health is working with New York City hospitals to prevent additional exposure to the virus in emergency departments. The health department is also asking pediatric-care facilities in Manhattan and the Bronx to identify and vaccinate children who have not received the MMR vaccine and to give the second dose of MMR vaccine to children at the next medical visit.

Adults who are unsure of their vaccination history can be revaccinated or obtain a blood test to see if they are immune. Several adults who are included in this outbreak thought they had been vaccinated in the past, but lacked documentation.

As many as one in three people with measles develop complications. These complications from measles can be very serious and include pneumonia, miscarriage, brain inflammation, hospitalization and even death. Infants under 1 year of age, people who have a weakened immune system and non-immune pregnant women are at highest risk of severe illness and complications.

Protect Yourself and Your Family from Measles:

Babies should receive the first measles vaccine at 12 months of age. Children older than 12 months of age who have not yet received a measles vaccine (given as MMR or Measles-Mumps-Rubella) should be vaccinated as soon as possible. Several children who have developed measles were not vaccinated at 12 months of age.

Vaccinating older children is the best way to protect children who are too young to receive the shot.

Two doses of measles vaccine are required for full protection. Children usually get the second measles shot at 4 to 6 years of age before going to school.

Older children and adults who have not received two measles shots may be at risk of infection.

Vaccinations are very safe. The benefits far outweigh any risks. Side effects are usually mild, such as soreness where the shot was given.

Be sure that you and your family are fully vaccinated prior to international travel. Measles is found in many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Visit your doctor or call 311 to find out where to get vaccinated.

For more information on measles, visit NYC.gov

greenfire

Fri, Mar 14 2014, 12:45 pm

there's a mumps outbreak in cleveland

4eyes

Fri, Mar 14 2014, 1:59 pm

Measles was considered eradicated in the US in 2000. Now there have been significant outbreaks in NY, LA, Boston. All because of some "research" that was proven to be false and then retracted.

I just feel bad for the individuals who CANNOT get their vaccines, either because too young or immunocompromised.

People who choose to not vaccinate their children are allowing diseases to break the herd immunity that could protect these people. And for what? Minute chances of rare side effects?!

ElTam

Fri, Mar 14 2014, 2:15 pm

Anybody want to bet patient zero came from a country with low vaccination rates. And now has endangered little children who are too young to have been vaxed. This is going to become more common before people wake up.

SplitPea

Fri, Mar 14 2014, 2:23 pm

Honestly measles is NOT as big of a deal as the media makes it out to be.

It's most dangerous to babies and pregnant woman. For a normal healthy kid or adult its really NOT a huge "life threatening" deal. Read the insert from the CDC itself on the MMR and the PROVEN side effects of the MMR are the same if not WORSE than measles themselves! I think we will take our chances thank you!

Dolly Welsh

Fri, Mar 14 2014, 2:32 pm

SplitPea wrote:

Wait. This is a quote, below, from the above piece.

What are you saying to not worry about babies under a year? What? That's when they are the most fun.

And in our community being pregnant is a common thing to be.

And some of our ahem older relatives are cancer survivors, and are immune deficient, and some of them are nice.

This is the quote from up there. It is concerning:

"As many as one in three people with measles develop complications. (WOW!! ed note) These complications from measles can be very serious and include pneumonia, miscarriage, brain inflammation, hospitalization and even death. (OK?? ed note) Infants under 1 year of age, people who have a weakened immune system and non-immune pregnant women are at highest risk of severe illness and complications. "

I personally am afraid of getting pneumonia from this, but I don't go into crowds much, so I will probably die someday of something less green.

I had measles in childhood, or the vaccine, I don't remember which, but that was so many decades ago that my own immunity is surely kaput by now. The Dolly you indirectly infect could be your own! Me!

I hang out at home with my laptop.

But not everybody does.

Measles is very contagious; if it is around you are going to be wrestling with it one way or another. And complications from the vaccine surely are not one-in-three. Much rarer than that. Everything in life is taking some kind of chance, but you go for the odds. You pick the lesser of evils, and the rarer evil.

GreenEyes26

Fri, Mar 14 2014, 2:51 pm

SplitPea wrote:

If you did any sort of research from credible sites, you know, with actual medical information, and not get all your stats from quacks and celebrities, you'd know that what you just said was beyond idiotic.

GreenEyes26

Fri, Mar 14 2014, 2:53 pm

4eyes wrote:

I said it before and I'll say it again - barring any sort of health issue that renders the child unable to receive a vaccine, parents should be charged with criminal negligence for not vaxing their kids. Right up there with not providing food, water, or shelter.

morah

Fri, Mar 14 2014, 3:08 pm

Your right to "take your chances" with our own children ends when my six month old's health is affected. Your choice is risking my baby's life.

Raisin

Sat, Mar 15 2014, 8:56 pm

SplitPea wrote:

well, guess who is not immunised against measles yet? all young babies.

Someone just told me her granddaughter in Israel got measles recently, guess its also prevalent there. (bh the baby is fine)

saw50st8

Sat, Mar 15 2014, 10:44 pm

morah wrote:

Your right to "take your chances" with our own children ends when my six month old's health is affected. Your choice is risking my baby's life.

Sorry, I get to decide what is best for my family. You can quarantine your family if you choose to.

smiledr

Sat, Mar 15 2014, 11:05 pm

People who vax shouldn't need to quarantine their kids...it's the pple who choose not to vax who should keep their families quarantined....

saw50st8

Sat, Mar 15 2014, 11:17 pm

smiledr wrote:

People who vax shouldn't need to quarantine their kids...it's the pple who choose not to vax who should keep their families quarantined....

I fully vax my kids. But my decision to vax has to do with my family.

If you afraid of the public, you should quarantine. I don't have to quarantine my family to soothe your fears.

Barbara

Sun, Mar 16 2014, 12:53 am

SplitPea wrote:

In 2008, there were 164,000 deaths from measles worldwide.

In 1991, there was a measles outbreak in Philadelphia at a school where families did not believe in inoculation. Five kids died (I acknowledge that they did not receive any medical treatment at all for measles, although in fact there is no real treatment for the disease).

People want to pretend these aren't serious and potentially fatal diseases. And its easy for them, having grown up in a world where people weren't hospitalized or dying. A world in which, chances are, their kids will never be exposed.

seeker

Sun, Mar 16 2014, 2:04 am

SplitPea wrote:

OK, let's say we take everything in your post as a given. You have said it is dangerous to babies and pregnant women. Isn't that good enough reason to avoid spreading it where it could reach them? It's very highly contagious and likely to be spread before it is identified as being measles, which means that if kids are spreading the germs around schools and doctor's offices, it is very likely that someone's baby sibling, too young to be vaccinated even if their parents wanted to, is going to catch it.

I'm not saying what anyone should do, just poking a little hole in this quoted post.

Dolly Welsh

Sun, Mar 16 2014, 3:05 am

And, how do you get to the "normal healthy kid or adult" stage without going THROUGH the Pregnant Woman stage, and the Baby stage?

Are normal healthy kids and adults purchased fully formed at Macy's?

I don't think we should eat our seed corn.

I don't mean to hammer a fellow Imamother but that post is brutal .

Brutal in the way it uses the words "normal, healthy".

"If you can't throw the disease off without help, you're "life unworthy of life".

Die, weakling!

I have no patience with population reduction initiatives toward our tiny little 14 million folks worldwide. That's a rounding error.

smiledr

Sun, Mar 16 2014, 7:24 am

It's not about soothing anyone's fears. Vaccine depends on herd immunity which means if I do my part and vax my children but u don't contribute to the 95 percent of the pop that's needed for vaccine to work then it's your responsibility I would think at the very least to keep you family away from people who are doing their best to keep their families healthy. If you are the minority , don't put other people at risk. Pple who vax aren't effecting you in any negative way why can't the non vaxxers return the favor?

morah

Sun, Mar 16 2014, 7:42 am

saw50st8 wrote:

Sorry, I get to decide what is best for my family. You can quarantine your family if you choose to.

Um, no. When what is "best" for your family affects other people, it's

morah

Sun, Mar 16 2014, 7:43 am

saw50st8 wrote:

Sorry, I get to decide what is best for my family. You can quarantine your family if you choose to.

Um, no. When what is "best" for your family affects other people, it's on you to minimize that affect, not on those of us you forced into that position.