Measles Making a Comeback

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Β CHARLOTTE, NC — An outbreak of measles has put the spotlight back on an infectious disease that was considered eradicated in the U.S. a decade ago.Β 

Mecklenburg County had a case last month. Health care experts say a growing movement against vaccinations could be behind the measles’ return.

“You know this isn’t just an inconvenient infection. You know it kills people sometimes.”

Mecklenburg County Health Director Dr. Marcus Plescia is talking about the measles, an infection that was all but extinguished a decade ago.
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“It’s a nasty disease,” said Dr. Plescia. “And you know it’s particularly dangerous, especially in young kids.”
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10 years ago there were a record-low 37 cases of measles in the U.S. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 644, including a case of red measles in Mecklenburg County.
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“We had one case over the Christmas holidays, and luckily that was all contained,” said Dr. Plescia. “And we know now that we’re far enough out that there aren’t any secondary cases as a result of that.”
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Measles are headline news in 2015. The CDC says 84 people in 14 states have been infected. Most of those part of a large, ongoing outbreak linked to Disneyland in California.
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You no longer have to travel out of the country, or be exposed to someone who did. You could get measles just by going to an amusement park, a movie theater or to school.
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The numbers are up because more people are vulnerable, with a growing number of parents choosing to not vaccinate their children, claiming the vaccines are dangerous.
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"I understand what they’re saying, and they want to keep their children safe, away from these things,” said Elizabeth resident and mother Karen Delozier. “But I think that they’re more helpful than harmful for our children.”
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“It’s still a small proportion, but it’s enough now that we’re seeing some of the effects of this,” said Dr. Plescia.
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Health officials say children should get two doses of the MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose between 12-15 months of age, and a second dose between age 4 and 6.