This article appeared in the Miami Herald. Read the full article here here.
A health caution for measles has been issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the peak summer travel season approaches.
NBC News reports that the organization is encouraging parents to have their kids immunized against measles before taking a trip. Two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination should be administered at least two weeks apart in order to provide adequate protection against the disease, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Although measles is highly contagious, 97 percent of people who undergo vaccinations will be protected. People “can get measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, even up to two hours after that person has left,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declares on its website.
Recently, there has been an increase in measles cases in the United States, notes Travel Pulse. The first five months of 2023 saw 16 instances of measles recorded in the United States, up from three in the same period in 2022, according to a health notice issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the United States, the vast majority of cases may be traced back to some form of international travel. “These cases are reminders of the critical role of vaccinations in protecting the community,” Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s health officer, shared in a statement, according to NBC News. “We urge all parents to please work with your pediatrician or contact the health department to help get your child up-to-date on vaccinations.” According to the CDC, symptoms typically manifest themselves within the first week of illness and include a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and a distinctive rash.