Connections: June 2024 - 8

Jaisal Pragani, MD
Pediatrics, Dartmouth Hitchcock
Clinics Manchester
Is measles making a comeback?
A pediatrician provides insight and advice
Twenty-four years ago, thanks to
vaccinations, measles was declared
eradicated in the United States.
But today it is making a return and
again becoming a threat, especially
to children. Isolated outbreaks in
some U.S. states have raised concerns
among medical experts.
vaccination rates dropped from 95% to 93%
from the 2019-2020 to 2022-2023 school
years, respectively. In New Hampshire, the
current vaccination rate lies near 88.7%,
according to the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC). The World Health Organization (WHO)
recommends vaccination rates to be above
95% to take advantage of " herd immunity. "
Wasn't measles considered
eradicated at one point?
In 2000, measles was considered
What is the concern about measles?
Measles is a very contagious disease
spread through respiratory secretions.
Unfortunately, affected individuals can
begin spreading the illness long before
they ever develop symptoms. A person
may be infected 8 to 12 days before
symptoms begin to show. In 2024, 55% of
measles cases required hospitalization for
complications or need for isolation.
Just how contagious is the disease?
How serious is it?
Nine out of 10 persons exposed to the illness
will develop symptoms. Symptoms can range
from mild fever, diarrhea and rash all the way up
to a very serious brain infection called subacute
sclerosing panencephalitis and death.
How much has the rate of
vaccination dropped? And why?
Childhood vaccine rates dropped during
the pandemic due to the limited accessibility
of resources/appointments. Nationally,
eradicated in the U.S. There have been 146
cases reported so far in 2024 in the U.S.
What impact did the pandemic
have on the situation?
On one hand, children were likely not
getting into their doctors for routine visits,
reducing the rate of vaccination. On the other
hand, with social distancing and masking,
transmission of communicable diseases had
reduced significantly, likely leading to a false
sense of security as rates of diseases other
than COVID dropped significantly. Now that
international travel is increasing again, the
U.S. is seeing an increase in imported cases
of measles and, with reduced vaccination
rates, is now seeing an increase in cases of
measles due to reduced effectiveness of herd
immunity.
What can be done to improve
the vaccination rate?
Get your kids in to the well visits for
vaccination updates. Talk to your health
provider, reference the CDC, the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Parenting
website (healthychildren.org ) or
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Vaccine Education Center for any
questions about vaccines, side effects,
ingredients, etc.
Isn't vaccination required for
children to get into school?
Yes, vaccination against measles is a
requirement for New Hampshire schools.
Certain circumstances exist for medical
and religious exemptions.
Looking ahead, what is your
biggest concern? Your hope?
The measles (MMR) vaccine is very
safe and has been one of the most
scrutinized vaccines over the past few
years. There are many concerns that
parents have regarding the vaccine, none
of which have been founded through
many studies. My hope is that parents
continue to trust the scientific community
who develop and produce these vaccines,
and that they hold both the interests of
public health and the safety of America's
children at heart. These vaccines are
safe and will continue to keep us safe.
Read more at
the Dartmouth
Health Children's
website.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/Pages/default.aspx https://childrens.dartmouth-health.org/stories/article/measles-cases-rise-dartmouth-health-childrens-pediatrician-urges-vaccination
Connections: June 2024

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