United States: According to a new update a rare disease, which is known to be eliminated from the US has reappeared after more than two decades, where a case of infection has been confirmed in a Minneapolis school.
More about the news
According to the Minnesota Department of Health reports that a student from an elementary school in Minneapolis contracted measles.
A spokesperson for the Minneapolis Public Schools refused to identify which school was involved but added that the school contacted the families of students who might be infected.
Furthermore, unvaccinated children with suspect cases have to be out of school for 21 days as a precaution.
According to a health department spokesperson, “Ultimately, this underscores why school immunization requirements are important for preventing measles outbreaks because they ensure that schools have timely and accurate information about which children are immunized and often lead to higher immunization rates,” CBS News reported.
More about the cases
The latest statistics by the health department of Minnesota show that there were 59 reported measles cases in the state by September 24 according to the health department.
That is the highest measles cases in the state after 2017 when 75 cases were recorded in the same county. To compare, there were no measles cases recorded in the state within the prior year.
Of the 59 cases this year, nearly all of them were in individuals who were under the age of 20. Out of 12 people registered as infected, twelve of them were admitted to the hospital. 51 percent of the occurrences were found in Hennepin County.
Immunization in the state
As per the data in city revealed that 40 percent of students from Minneapolis Public Schools are falling behind on scheduled immunizations.
According to Dr. Stacene Maroushek, pediatric infectious disease specialist with Hennepin Healthcare, “For me it’s very concerning because we do have large pockets of unvaccinated children, in both urban and rural areas,” CBS News reported.
Spread of the disease
Reports suggest that this epidemic of measles is predominantly affecting people from the Somali community in Minnesota. The health experts in Minnesota explained that vaccination in the community has declined between ten and fifteen years.
As per the reports from Saed Yusuf, a clinical care supervisor for Hennepin Healthcare, “Don’t dismiss the fear, but at the same time, correct the misinformation.”
Yusuf, who is also of Somali origin, noted that rumors filled the airwaves, particularly linking the disease’s vaccine to autism, a rumor that, to this date, has no substantiated evidence.
He, who is also of Somali origin, noted that rumors filled the airwaves, particularly linking the disease’s vaccine to autism, a rumor that, to this date, has no substantiated evidence.
According to Maroushek, “It’s very hard to argue with emotion, even if you have good facts,” CBS News reported.
What more is the CDC stating?
The CDC recommends children get two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination: The first one is administered at 12-15 months and the second one is given at 4-6 years of age.