Measles Outbreak Investigated at Florida Elementary School with Low Vaccination Rate
On Sunday, health officials in Florida announced an investigation into a cluster of measles cases at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, near Fort Lauderdale. The school has a low vaccination rate, which health experts fear will become increasingly common as vaccination rates decline nationwide.
Measles: A Highly Contagious Virus
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known, spreading through respiratory and airborne transmission. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has been in the area. People who are not vaccinated or have compromised immune systems are at risk, with up to 90 percent of susceptible people exposed to the virus becoming infected.
Symptoms and Complications
Measles symptoms typically begin 8 to 14 days after exposure but can incubate for up to 21 days. Symptoms include high fever, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a cough before the characteristic rash develops. Infected people can be contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 5 unvaccinated people with measles are hospitalized, while 1 in 20 infected children develop pneumonia, and up to 3 in 1,000 children die from the infection.
Vaccination and Protection
Those who are not immunocompromised and are fully vaccinated against measles (having received two doses of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine) are generally not considered at risk. The two doses are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles, and protection is considered to be life-long.
Identifying Susceptible Contacts
The Department of Health in Broward County (DOH-Broward) is now working to identify susceptible contacts who may be candidates for post-exposure prophylaxis through MMR or immunoglobulin.
Growing Threat of Measles Outbreaks
While the risk of measles is generally low in the US, the threat of large outbreaks is growing as vaccination rates slip. Many cases in the US are linked to travel from countries where the virus still circulates. However, if a travel-related case lands in an area with low vaccination coverage, the virus can spread rapidly, as seen in the 2019 outbreak when the country nearly lost its elimination status.
Declining Vaccination Rates
Health officials typically consider vaccination coverage of 95 percent or greater sufficient to protect from ongoing transmission. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, vaccination rates among US kindergarteners have slipped to 93 percent, and vaccination exemptions reached an all-time high in the 2022-2023 school year. At least 10 states now have vaccination exemption rates above 5 percent, meaning that even if every non-exempt child is vaccinated, those states will not have enough coverage to reach the 95 percent target.
The CDC has tallied 20 measles cases in the US so far this year as of February 15, which does not include the recent Florida cases. In 2023, there were 58 measles cases reported to the CDC.
This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.
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This is what happens when people prioritize conspiracy theories over science and public health.