HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The Alabama Department of Public Health is asking parents to make sure their children’s measles vaccinations are up to date as cases continue to rise across the country. According to ADPH, unvaccinated people have a 90% chance of becoming infected with measles if exposed. It can take up to 3 weeks for the disease to show up after exposure.
Measles is a virus that affects the respiratory system and can live in the nose and throat. It can linger in the air for up to 2 hours, making it easy to spread. Symptoms usually appear 7-14 days after exposure and can include things like fever, cough, and a red rash. Some people might also experience hearing loss, ear infections, or diarrhea. In severe cases, measles can cause swelling of the brain, pneumonia, or even death.
“One of the main messages we want to emphasize is that measles follows a pattern where the child first develops fever, cough, runny nose, and watery/red eyes, followed by the development of a classic appearing rash that starts as flat red spots on the face and spreads downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. Persons can start spreading measles up to four days before rash onset, and those with weak immune systems can spread the measles virus longer,” ADPH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Karen Landers said.
ADPH's reminder that most children get measles protection is part of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR), or measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine, if they are 12 to 15 months old and get a second dose again when they are 4 to 6 years old. Babies as young as 6 months can also get the vaccine if they're traveling internationally or in areas with outbreaks. The MMR vaccine is one of the vaccines required for children to attend school in Alabama.
Vaccines are available at pediatricians’ offices, family physicians’ offices, or county health departments. For more information, you can visit here.