Rising Measles rates since 2023 - Credit CDC
#18,359
Ten days ago Texas DHHS Announced the First Death From Measles in the United States in a decade; sadly in a school-aged child who was not vaccinated and was hospitalized in Lubbock the previous week.
Currently, both Texas (n=159) and New Mexico (n=10) are reporting community outbreaks of measles. According to the CDC, roughly 20% have been ill enough to require hospitalization.According to the CDC, the last known measles related death in the United States occurred in 2015.
While measles deaths are rare (1-3 per 1,000 unvaccinated cases), serious complications - including, pneumonia, eyesight and hearing damage - are more common.
Yesterday, however, the New Mexico Department of Health announced a second measles-related death; this time in an unvaccinated adult. This person's cause of death has yet to be determined, and so it isn't clear how much the measles infection contributed to this person's death.
First the NM DOH press release, after which I'll return with a bit more.
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) confirms that a deceased resident of Lea County, who was unvaccinated, tested positive for measles.
The official cause of death is still under investigation by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. However, NMDOH Scientific Laboratory has confirmed the presence of the measles virus. The individual did not seek medical care before passing.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can cause severe complications. One in five cases requires hospitalization, and approximately three in every 1,000 cases result in death.
The only prevention for the highly contagious respiratory illness is vaccination. With ongoing exposures in Lea County, NMDOH urges residents to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their families.
“We don’t want to see New Mexicans getting sick or dying from measles,” said Dr. Chad Smelser, NMDOH Deputy State Epidemiologist. “The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best protection against this serious disease.”
To support community protection, NMDOH has scheduled free measles vaccination clinics in Lea County on Tuesday, March 11:
- 9 a.m. — 3 p.m. at the Hobbs Public Health Office, 1923 N. Dal Paso.
- 9 a.m. — 3 p.m. at the Lovington Public Health Office, 302 N. 5th Street.
If you have symptoms, call before visiting. Staff will provide guidance based on symptom severity:
- Hobbs Office (575) 397-2463.
- Lovington Office (575) 396-2853.
Anyone with measles-related questions – such as about symptoms or vaccinations – is asked to call the NMDOH Helpline at 1-833-796-8773. The Helpline is staffed by nurses able to provide guidance in English and in Spanish.
More information is available on the NMDOH website at http://measles.doh.nm.gov.
This new case brings the total number of cases in the measles outbreak to 10. All cases have been residents of Lea County. Cases have included six adults and four children under the age of 17. Seven of the cases were unvaccinated, while the remaining three have unknown vaccination histories.Media Contact
We would be happy to provide additional information about this press release. Simply contact David Morgan at 575-528-5197 (Office) or 575-649-0754 (Mobile) with your questions.
Versión en Español
En un esfuerzo para hacer que nuestros comunicados de prensa sean más accesibles, también tenemos disponibles una versión en español. Por favor presione el enlace de abajo para acceder a la traducción.
When it comes to transmissibility in an unvaccinated population, measles is about as efficient as a virus gets. It's R0 (pronounced R-nought) or Basic Reproductive Number, is usually cited as 16 or higher, while a pandemic flu might only have an R0 of 2 to 3.
Measles also has a long incubation period (2-3 weeks), and a person may be contagious for up to 4 days before symptoms appear, aiding in its transmissibility.
Prior to the introduction of a measles vaccine in the early 1960s, the United States saw hundreds of thousands of cases a year, and thousands of deaths (see chart below). The chart below (source: CDC) shows the remarkable effectiveness of that vaccination campaign.
But over the past 20 years we've seen a decline in uptake of the measles vaccine, due in large part to the growing anti-vaccination movement. This move away from proven vaccines is what has allowed old scourges - like Pertussis, Measles, Scarlet Fever, and even diphtheria - to make a comeback around the globe.
And for those who cling to the idea that what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger we've recently learned that measles infection appears to dramatically reduce your immune system's ability to fight other pathogens; even those that you had previously developed antibodies against.
It's called Immune Amnesia - where the patient's T cells and B cells are greatly reduced - and it can last for several years. A few studies include:
Measles virus infection diminishes preexisting antibodies that offer protection from other pathogensImmune amnesia induced by measles and its effects on concurrent epidemics
Making measles, I suppose, the gift that keeps on giving . . . .
