More than 100 students in South Carolina are being quarantined after they were exposed to measles.
In a briefing Wednesday, officials from the South Carolina Department of Public Health confirmed 139 students in South Carolina schools are under quarantine because they are all unvaccinated against measles, leaving them vulnerable to infection.
The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is typically given in two doses to children between ages 12 and 15 months and again between ages four and six. It’s unclear how old the children are who were exposed.
State epidemiologist Dr Linda Bell said 153 students were quarantined, but ‘further investigations into potential exposures’ allowed 14 of them to return to school.
Schools where exposure occurred include Global Academy and Fairforest Elementary School in Spartanburg County, about 90 miles west of Charlotte. Both schools are working with the health department to implement recommended precautionary measures.
As of Wednesday, South Carolina has confirmed 16 cases of measles since July, making it the latest state to endure an outbreak of highly contagious measles, which was once considered eliminated in the US and now has infected nearly 1,600 Americans and killed three people this year.
It’s the largest outbreak since about 2,100 cases were reported in 1992.
Dr Bell said the health department identified a Crunch Fitness location in Greenville, just outside of Spartanburg County, as the source of one child’s exposure in September. Other potential exposure locations are unknown.
More than 100 unvaccinated students in South Carolina have been quarantined due to exposure to measles, the world’s most infectious disease that causes a signature rash, flu-like symptoms, pneumonia and brain swelling (stock image)
She said: ‘We actually anticipate that more cases may occur. The measles virus won’t be contained within schools, within school districts or by county lines, but the MMR vaccine, by providing lifelong immunity to the majority of those vaccinated, will contain the virus.
‘And for this reason, we’re urging those who are not vaccinated to consider getting that protection now.’
The measles vaccine is 97 percent effective in preventing infection for those who receive both doses, according to the CDC.
A vaccination rate of 95 percent is needed to achieve herd immunity. But nationwide, only 92.5 percent of kindergarteners have gotten both doses of the shot, posing a threat to herd immunity.
In South Carolina, just 91 percent of kindergarteners have been vaccinated against measles. And one in 20 in the state are exempt from one or more vaccines due to medical or religious reasons.
Dr Bell said: ‘We are certainly concerned about the declining vaccination coverage.
‘People can travel now within the state and be exposed to measles. So this does concern us, and we just continue to emphasize everyone to please take advantage of getting protection from the MMR vaccine as quickly as possible.’
Measles is an infectious, but preventable, disease caused by a virus that leads to flu-like symptoms, a rash that starts on the face and spreads down the body, and, in severe cases, pneumonia, seizures, brain inflammation, permanent brain damage, and death.
The virus is spread through direct contact with infectious droplets or through the air.
Patients with a measles infection are contagious from four days before the rash through four days after the rash appears.
People who are not vaccinated have a 90 percent chance of getting sick if they are exposed, even from sharing the same air, briefly or hours later, with someone who has measles. Three in 1,000 people who contract measles will die.
Deaths typically occur from acute encephalitis, or brain swelling, when the virus travels to the central nervous system, or pneumonia if it migrates to the lungs.
Before the current two-dose childhood vaccine’s approval in 1968, there were up to 500 US deaths each year from measles, 48,000 hospitalizations and 1,000 cases of brain swelling.
Roughly three million to four million people were infected every year.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .