Undervaccination leaves nearly 9 million vulnerable to
contagious disease
 |
| Did Flip have a bad experience with his measles shot? Or is he just another right-wing jerk? |
Infectious Diseases Society of America
EDITOR’S
NOTE: Charlestown’s carbetbagger state Rep Flip Filippi has joined
with Rep. Justin Price (R-Wingnut Militia) as an anti-vaxxer, stating that
parents should have the choice whether or not to have their children vaccinated
against communicable diseases. The problem with “parental choice” is the dire
public health risk that comes from parents buying into extremist
anti-vaccination propaganda, as this new study shows. - WC
Gaps in measles vaccination rates place one in eight children at
risk for becoming sick from the highly contagious illness, according to an
analysis of national vaccination coverage being presented at IDWeek 2015™.
Measles can lead to pneumonia, encephalitis, hospitalization and occasionally,
death.
Those who are not vaccinated or are undervaccinated are highly
susceptible to becoming ill because measles is very contagious through direct
contact and droplets that can spread through the air. Measles is one of the
most contagious of the vaccine-preventable diseases, meaning to prevent
sustained transmission, it's necessary to maintain the highest levels of
immunity.
The study suggests that nearly 9 million children -- infants
through 17 -- are susceptible to measles primarily because they haven't
received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, or have received only
one of the two recommended doses.
These findings are significant because in their analysis of the
National Immunization Survey-Teen, the researchers from Emory University found
the percentage of children immune to measles is very close to the range of 92
to 94 percent. Below this threshold, measles outbreaks are possible and could
lead to widespread illness.
Currently, measles is not widespread thanks to herd
immunity, meaning the majority of people have been vaccinated, which ensures
the number of people vulnerable to infection is small and helps protect those
who can't be vaccinated by preventing their exposure to the measles virus.
Researchers also found that nearly one in four children aged
three or younger are at risk, and that nearly 5 percent of 17-year-olds had not
received any doses of the vaccine.
"Although we eliminated continuous measles transmission in
the United States about 15 years ago thanks to the effectiveness of the MMR
vaccine and robust vaccination rates, these study results show that we can't
get complacent," said Robert Bednarczyk, PhD, lead author of the study and
assistant professor in the Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School
of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta.
"While we currently have
overall immunity in the population that should prevent sustained measles
transmission, if the virus is introduced, there is the potential for large
outbreaks. This is because there are clusters of unvaccinated children in some
communities, which could allow a large outbreak to occur with spread to similar
communities."
All children should receive two doses of measles containing
vaccines at the recommended ages, he said. He noted that the biggest concern is
children who haven't received any doses for any of a variety of reasons,
including: lack of access, being unaware of the need for vaccines and being
opposed to vaccines. In addition, doctors need to ensure those who received
only one dose receive a second dose at the recommended age.
The MMR vaccine is given to children in two doses, the first at
12 to 15 months and the second at four to six years old. While children are
required to receive the MMR vaccine before attending school, some are exempt
because they have a medical issue, such as an immune disorder or cancer. (The
measles is a weakened live virus, and while it does not cause disease, it is
not recommended for those whose immune systems are compromised.) Further, most
states offer exemptions for religious or personal reasons. (Three states, most
recently California, do not offer non-medical exemptions.)
In their analysis, researchers determined that 12.5 percent of
all children -- 8.7 million -- were not fully protected by vaccination and
therefore were susceptible to measles, and that 24.7 percent of children age
three or younger are at risk. Among 17-year-olds, 4.6 percent had received no
doses of MMR.
If the percentage of vaccinated children drops to just 98 percent
of current levels, researchers estimate that 14.2 percent of children -- one in
seven -- would be vulnerable to measles.
"We know some parents have concerns about vaccines and may
want to avoid or delay vaccination, or follow an alternative schedule than the
one recommended because they're concerned about the safety of the
vaccine,'" said Dr. Bednarczyk. "In fact, the vaccine is very safe,
while not vaccinating is highly risky, leaving their children -- and others --
vulnerable to a serious illness that can cause a large number of complications.
Currently, these children are protected because of the high vaccine coverage of
the population, but that will change if we begin having more outbreaks and the
percentage of children vaccinated declines."