Measles Returns

 

So far this year, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has issued 64 health advisories across the PA Health Alert Network (PA-HAN), targeting the inboxes of health professionals and practitioners, hospital personnel, and health systems. Two health alerts — one concerning PFAS exposure and the other about invasive Group A Streptococcal infections — recently got the attention of The PediaBlog here and here.

Yesterday, PADOH alerted physicians about a shortage of osteltamivir (Tamiflu), a popular anti-viral medication used to treat people infected with influenza who may be at higher risk for developing serious illness and complications. As new cases of influenza cause hospitals and clinics to overflow with sick patients, providers and pharmacies were reminded that treatment options — oral baloxavir, inhaled zanamivir, intravenous peramivir — are still available for their patients.

Last week, an update on COVID-19 Omicron variants and monoclonal antibody treatment recommendations was released by the PADOH:

Due to data regarding the prevalence of the Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 and likely ineffectiveness against it, Bebtelovimab is no longer authorized for treatment of COVID-19 in the United States. Subsequently, there are currently NO monoclonal antibody treatments authorized for treatment of COVID-19 in the United States.

 

But it was another health advisory issued by the PADOH last week, this one concerning an outbreak of measles in a neighboring state, that really caught our eye:

Currently there is an outbreak of measles in Columbus, Ohio. The first measles case was identified October 22, 2022, and as of December 12th there are 73 confirmed cases with 26 hospitalizations and no deaths. Of the 73 confirmed cases of measles, 69 cases are in completely unvaccinated children. The other four cases are in partially vaccinated children (having received only one dose of MMR in the two-dose series). All cases are in children under the age of 18 years. The current outbreak started with four unvaccinated children in a childcare facility and has spread to multiple public locations across Columbus, Franklin and Ross counties.

 

While none of the cases involves children living in Pennsylvania, the health department gave three reasons why kids here may still be at risk:

There is concern that measles cases could occur in Pennsylvania due to a combination of spread from the Ohio outbreak, along with the seasonal importation of internationally acquired measles cases, and the recent decline of the timely administration of routine childhood immunizations, specifically the MMR, due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

 

By Tuesday, the situation unfolding in Ohio had worsened. Lisa O’Mary says public health experts believe vaccine refusal is the main reason why measles has come back to terrorize children, their families, and the doctors who treat them in Ohio’s capital city:

The Ohio measles outbreak continues to expand, with cases now totaling 81 – a 37% increase in the course of just 2 weeks.

The lead health official where the outbreak is occurring said the driving force behind the spread is vaccine hesitancy. Most of the children infected were unvaccinated but were old enough to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot, which is 97% effective at preventing measles.

“I think these are individuals who are making a decision not to protect their children against vaccine-preventable diseases, and some of them are making a specific decision not to use the MMR vaccine,”  Columbus Public Health Commissioner Mysheika W. Roberts, MD, told JAMA.

She said that parents’ refusal to vaccinate their children was due to a misconception that the vaccine causes autism.

“We’re sounding the alarm that if your child is of age and not vaccinated, they should get vaccinated ASAP,” Roberts said, noting that she hasn’t seen that happening more.

 

As we learned last month on The PediaBlog (Measles: “An Imminent Threat”), parents don’t have to let measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases terrorize their family:

Every visit to the pediatrician’s office is an opportunity to make sure children and teenagers are staying up-to-date on their routine immunization schedules. Parents can also sign in to their pediatric provider’s online patient portal and review the immunization status and other data contained in their child’s electronic health record. Working together, parents and pediatricians can help preserve children’s health by preventing devastating infectious diseases like measles.

 

 

(Google Images)

 

source http://www.thepediablog.com/2022/12/22/measles-returns/