{"id":2057,"date":"2025-02-27T11:40:36","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T11:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/27\/your-questions-about-measles-answered\/"},"modified":"2025-02-27T11:40:36","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T11:40:36","slug":"your-questions-about-measles-answered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/27\/your-questions-about-measles-answered\/","title":{"rendered":"Your questions about measles, answered"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f5u9al00bz25pcgjpa0kll@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Texas\u2019 largest outbreak of measles in 30 years has reached 90 cases, the Texas Department of State Health Services said Friday. Thirty-two cases have been added since the department\u2019s update earlier this week, and the number is expected to continue to rise.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f5udop00023b5vo2dfnaps@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Sixteen patients have been hospitalized, and most of the cases are in children ages 5 to 17.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f5udop00033b5vgmwguu7c@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The bulk of the cases \u2013 57 \u2013 are centered in Gaines County in West Texas, where the outbreak began. Surrounding counties are also affected, with 20 cases in Terry County, six in Dawson County, four in Yoakum County and one each in Lubbock, Lynn and Ector counties. The spread of the outbreak into Dawson and Ector counties was reported Friday, and given the contagious nature of the illness, the department expects further spread.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f5udop00043b5vfxc4zaph@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Just over the state line in Lea County, New Mexico, an outbreak of measles reached nine cases as of Thursday, according to the state Department of Health. Although the investigation is ongoing, there is no confirmed connection between the outbreaks, but a Texas Department of State Health Services spokesperson noted that people from Gaines County and the surrounding areas often cross the state line to shop in New Mexico.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f5udop00053b5vqehi4337@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            With the increased spread of the virus, it\u2019s crucial to understand what measles looks like, how it is transmitted and what you can do to prevent it.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm7f6ycgg00013b5zl1000ea3@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">        <strong>How is measles spread?<\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">        Stacey in Connecticut    <\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003a3b5vs4vw821q@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The measles virus is highly contagious and spreads through coughing, sneezing and breathing the same air that was breathed by someone infected with measles. The virus can linger in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours \u2013 even after the infected person has left the room.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003b3b5vt9f0ugei@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            It\u2019s estimated that one person infected by measles can infect 9 out of 10 close contacts if those contacts are unvaccinated.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f7q8b200013b6mjb8yxruj@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Measles is so contagious partly because an infected person can spread the virus to others even before knowing they have it \u2013 from four days before through four days after the trademark rash appears.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm7f6zdnp00043b5z7gm6z2hy@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">        <strong>I\u2019m 72 years old and had measles \u2026 as a child. I don\u2019t remember children dying from these diseases. Has measles become more virulent?<\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">        Elizabeth    <\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003d3b5vh1147fib@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The measles virus has stayed relatively stable over the years, according to experts.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003e3b5vf09vuztc@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIt has not become more virulent, but the average complications of measles occur just infrequently enough that the average person might not have been aware of them,\u201d said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003f3b5vrep2bcwv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Cases of measles usually come with the three Cs: cough; coryza, which is a stuffy nose; and conjunctivitis, which is red eyes.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f8n3ba00003b5v3xi4r6hp@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Other key symptoms of measles include a high fever that may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, a red blotchy rash and Koplik spots, which are tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f8egh8000c3b6mbhl1x65z@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Severe cases can result in blindness, deafness, pneumonia or swelling of the brain, according to the World Health Organization. In some cases, the illness can be fatal.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003g3b5vg2wji82x@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Up to 3 out of 1,000 children with measles will die from respiratory or neurological complications, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003h3b5vykp783xv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, the virus would claim an estimated 2.6 million lives each year worldwide. In 2023, WHO estimated that there were 107,500 measles deaths, largely in countries with low vaccination.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003i3b5vpq09mtqc@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In the US, there were 400 to 500 measles deaths per year in the decade before 1963. The virus was declared eliminated in 2000, meaning cases were no longer regularly occurring. Cases still happen through unvaccinated travelers entering the country.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f96se8000e3b6m9k50rsry@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In 2015, there was one measles death in the US \u2013 the last death reported from the virus in the country.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm7f73fbt00073b5z9zbakw36@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">        <strong>I recall that there was a risk of blindness and deafness with a case of the measles. Is that true?<\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">        Lori in North Dakota    <\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003k3b5vgrbtgal8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The measles virus can cause a variety of complications.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f7wqap00043b6m3urn9cyf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            According to the CDC, 1 in every 10 children with measles will get an ear infection, and severe ear infections can lead to hearing loss. About 1 in every 1,000 children with measles will develop encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. This can also lead to deafness.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003l3b5vvrfayr3q@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Blindness can happen as a complication of corneal ulceration. This more commonly occurs in malnourished children with vitamin A deficiency, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003m3b5v3efmw6fe@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Another complication is pneumonia, which happens in 1 of every 20 children with measles.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm7f745ry000c3b5zlzqw2gxz@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">        <strong>Why is the vaccination rate so low in this part of Texas and New Mexico?<\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">        Kathleen    <\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003o3b5vj5qi9uez@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            State health officials have said that most of the Texas cases are in a largely undervaccinated community that does not regularly seek traditional health care.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003p3b5vxv0m3gbr@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Coverage of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is particularly low in Gaines County, where nearly 1 in 5 incoming kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year did not get the vaccine. Other affected Texas counties also fall below a goal of 95%, set by the US Department of Health and Human Services, that\u2019s necessary to help prevent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease. Dawson County stands around 88% vaccinated for incoming kindergarteners, Ector County at 91% and Lynn, Lubbock and Yoakum around 92%, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003q3b5vv9o7fqcc@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            MMR vaccine coverage is also declining across the country: The US has fallen short of the 95% threshold for four years in a row.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003r3b5vk4d429yv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            There was a stark increase in US kindergartners with an exemption for required vaccinations last school year. This left more than 125,000 new schoolchildren without coverage for at least one state-mandated vaccine, according to data published by the CDC in October.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003t3b5vspgd0ojn@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Last year in the US, there were 285 measles cases reported, the most since 2019, according to the CDC. Experts attribute this increase to declining vaccination rates.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm7f74ngk000f3b5zj7scqthv@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">        <strong>At which age should children be vaccinated against measles? How was that age decided?<\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">        Laura in Germany    <\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003v3b5vkftepjtu@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Official guidance says children should get two doses of the MMR vaccine: the first between 12 and 15 months old and the second between ages 4 to 6, before starting school. These two doses usually protect people against measles for life.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003w3b5vkh0rk634@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The MMR vaccine is part of the childhood immunization schedule that\u2019s decided by the CDC\u2019s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in conjunction with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians. This is based on data collected since the measles vaccine was first licensed, which informs the time when children will be able to build the best immunity to the virus.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003x3b5vv8q94yky@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            During an outbreak, health departments may also release updated vaccination guidance.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm7f768nq000i3b5z4kkwxo72@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">        <strong>I\u2019m 59. Is the measles vaccine I was given as a child still protecting me?<\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">        Mary in Illinois    <\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx003z3b5v37af6t92@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Experts say that those who received two doses of the MMR vaccine that\u2019s currently used will probably have measles immunity for their entire life.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zx00403b5v51h3vsvy@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cLess than 1% of people who are fully vaccinated will have waning immunity to measles to the point where they are susceptible to infection,\u201d said Dr. Christina Johns, a pediatric emergency physician at PM Pediatrics. \u201cAs we age, all types of immunity have the potential to wane, but fully vaccinated folks are generally considered protected from infection for their lifetime.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy00413b5va5x6yyvp@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            During an outbreak, local health departments may offer additional guidance on vaccinations. But there are currently no recommendations for a third dose of MMR vaccine, according to the CDC.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy00423b5vucazlu3y@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            If you got<strong> <\/strong>the first version of the measles vaccine &#8211; a killed-virus vaccine used between 1963 and 1968 &#8211; or don\u2019t know which type of vaccine you received, the CDC recommends getting at least one dose of MMR.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy00433b5v2rzg3f3e@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Although the MMR vaccine probably confers lifelong immunity, Schaffner says some people may have their antibody levels tested and, \u201cin conjunction with their physicians, decide to get another dose of the vaccine booster. And I\u2019d say there\u2019s no harm to that as far as we know, but the benefit is uncertain.\u201d    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm7f76nyj000l3b5zu6bzap8u@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">        <strong>Should my 2-year-old grandson get his second dose now instead of waiting until he is 4 like he normally would?<\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">        Laura    <\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy00453b5v1v1xxpg8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The standard vaccination schedule recommends one dose at 12 to 15 months and another at 4 to 6 years of age. During an outbreak, health departments may release updated guidance for their specific communities.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy00463b5vordtcxhv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            For example, the Texas health department has updated its guidance for residents of Gaines County, the primary site of the ongoing outbreak.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f877yr00073b6m2x7c0vyb@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            It recommends that children older than 12 months who have gotten one dose of MMR get their second vaccination as soon as possible if it is at least 28 days after their first. Infants 6 to 11 months can get an early dose but will then resume the CDC\u2019s normal schedule with two more doses.<strong> <\/strong>Adults with no immunity are also urged to get a vaccination, with the second dose 28 days afterward.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy00473b5v88owgwfv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Whether you should get the second dose earlier depends on where you live in relation to the outbreak. Your best bet is to check with your doctor or your children\u2019s pediatrician.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm7f77235000o3b5zfxgilfm0@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">        <strong>What should we do to protect our unvaccinated young children? My daughter is 2 months old and not eligible for the vaccine yet. If she contracts it, what is the chance of serious illness?<\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">        Madison    <\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy00493b5vgpylxb5f@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Children too young to be vaccinated are more likely to have severe illness from measles, which is why it is essential to have high levels of community vaccination to prevent the spread of disease.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy004a3b5v6d46kubt@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            At least one case in the West Texas outbreak is in a baby too young to be vaccinated, according to a state health official.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy004b3b5vhw156yp6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Although infants younger than 6 months are not eligible for the MMR vaccine, they may still have some immunity against the virus.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy004c3b5vk1gsjkun@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cMom\u2019s antibodies cross the placenta and get into the baby and provide protection, largely during those first six months,\u201d Schaffner said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy004d3b5vjiitugpr@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            If the vaccine is given before 6 months of age, it will not provide an \u201cactive immune stimulus,\u201d he said, because the mother\u2019s antibodies will inhibit the virus before the child\u2019s body can learn to build immunity to it. Infants under 6 months who are exposed to measles can receive immunoglobulin, antibodies that can lessen or prevent illness, up to six days after the exposure but ideally sooner.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm7f77e8g000r3b5z6sg2km00@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">        <strong>Can my child get measles even if they are vaccinated already?<\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">        Hector    <\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy004f3b5vqedyh6zr@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Two doses of MMR are 97% effective against the measles. But this is not 100%, so the more measles spreads, the higher the risk that a vaccinated person may be infected if they\u2019re exposed to the virus. However, disease symptoms are generally milder in vaccinated people, and they are less likely to spread the virus to others. This is why it is critical to reach \u201cherd immunity,\u201d when enough of the population is vaccinated that it reduces further disease spread.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm7f77rjr000u3b5z2mojdztk@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">        <strong>Does coming into contact with measles or contracting the virus while pregnant have an adverse effect on pregnant women or their unborn child?<\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">        Dee Dee    <\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy004h3b5vvml4a311@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Contracting the measles virus while pregnant raises the odds of complications like pneumonia, according to Schaffner.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy004i3b5vyb6sx984@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cMeasles in pregnancy would be a serious illness, for both parties: the mom, as well as the fetus,\u201d he said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy004j3b5vr00aboad@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In unvaccinated mothers, measles can also cause premature birth or low birth weight, according to the CDC.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm7f6n9zy004k3b5vve0sw28y@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Pregnant women are not eligible to receive the MMR vaccine like others who are exposed to the virus. However, they can be receive immunoglobulin if they come into contact with an infected person.    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div>This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Texas\u2019 largest outbreak of measles in 30 years has reached 90 cases, the Texas Department of State Health Services said Friday. Thirty-two cases have been added since the department\u2019s update earlier this week, and the number is expected to continue to rise. Sixteen patients have been hospitalized, and most of the cases are in children &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2058,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"loftocean_post_primary_category":0,"loftocean_post_format_gallery":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_ids":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_urls":"","loftocean_post_format_video_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_video_url":"","loftocean_post_format_video_type":"","loftocean_post_format_video":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_type":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_url":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_audio":"","loftocean-featured-post":"","loftocean-like-count":0,"loftocean-view-count":448,"tinysalt_single_post_intro_label":"","tinysalt_single_post_intro_description":"","tinysalt_hide_post_featured_image":"","tinysalt_post_featured_media_position":"","tinysalt_single_site_header_source":"","tinysalt_single_custom_site_header":"0","tinysalt_single_custom_sticky_site_header":"0","tinysalt_single_custom_sticky_site_header_style":"sticky-scroll-up","tinysalt_single_site_footer_source":"","tinysalt_single_custom_site_footer":"0","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}