Measles is a disease that did not represent a major threat ever since vaccines were created for them. However, those who did not receive the vaccine are at risk. This is what is happening in southwestern Washington state, where there is a measles outbreak.
Up until now, there have been 16 confirmed cases. It appears that most of the children that are affected are also unimmunized against the disease. In fact, out of those 16 cases, 13 are children that are under the age of 11. More than that, 14 are known to be unimmunized, while the other two are unverified at the moment.
Low vaccination rates
The Clark County is more vulnerable than other counties because it has the lowest vaccination rate. “Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. In rare cases, it can be deadly,” a Washington State Department of Health fact sheet explained.
Last year there were 349 cases and 17 outbreaks in the United States. They have all been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The risks become higher as there appears to be a movement against vaccines. According to the World Health Organization, this has become a global health threat this year.
“The reasons for this rise are complex, and not all of these cases are due to vaccine hesitancy,” declared the World Health Organization in a statement. “However, some countries that were close to eliminating the disease have seen a resurgence.”
More and more people seem to be against the MMR vaccine. This vaccine protects us from measles, mumps, and rubella. Unfortunately, false information is being spread, especially in the online medium, and it manages to convince more and more people. The fact that people choose not to vaccinate their children either is even more worrisome.
Nora Reynolds is a major in biology and a minor in Biological Basis of Behavior, writing about science in general. She also likes to try new gadgets and sports about the AI new era.