Health officials in Maryland are declaring a measles outbreak in three counties as cases continue to rise across the state, highlighting the importance of getting immunized.
In a notice released Monday, the Maryland Department of Health declared a measles outbreak in St. Mary’s, Carroll and Cecil counties after identifying 14 new confirmed cases in unvaccinated residents. The department said it has no evidence of widespread community transmission.
In total, there have been 31 confirmed measles cases in Maryland this year, with 27 unvaccinated residents accounting for those cases. Most of those cases have been identified in St. Mary’s (13), Carroll (8), and Cecil (5) counties.
Alexandra Yont, an infectious disease physician at Children’s National Hospital, said measles is one of the most contagious viruses and that’s why it’s so important to get immunized.
“For every person that is infected with measles, for those without protection, so unimmunized individuals, on the order of between 10 and 13, could get ,or would get, that illness from the one person,” Yont said, adding that it’s an “effective transmitter disease.”
Yont said while most kids who get measles recover OK, there can be serious consequences for some.
“In about 1 in 20 kids, they need to be hospitalized for pneumonia, as a result of the viral infection,” she said, adding that some children develop encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, which could lead to seizures and permanent brain damage.
If someone is not protected from measles, they have a 90% chance of becoming infected if exposed. Yonts added that the mortality rate overall is 1% to 2%. In the U.S. it is less than 1%.
In addition to being a danger to children, Yont said people who are immunocompromised, such as cancer patients, are also at serious risk if they get measles.
“It’s our job and if you value human life to protect our immune-compromised vulnerable neighbors,” she said.
Yont said the recommendation for children is to get the measles vaccine at 12 months and then again between 4 and 6 years of age.
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