Are You At Risk In Ocean County Measles Outbreak?

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As health providers innoculate thousands against measles and confirmed cases mount, here's how to know whether you could catch the measles.

With 14 confirmed cases of measles in Ocean County and more sites where people have been exposed, for some concerns are rising about whether they are at risk of contracting the virus, which can have serious complications.

The Ocean County Health Department has urged vaccination of anyone who may be at risk of getting the measles, but how do you know whether you need a vaccination?

Most children and adults born in 1963 or thereafter have received measles vaccinations, which came into widespread use that year, according the national Centers for Disease Control. If you're not sure whether your children have received the vaccine, check with their pediatrician.

Children who have received the MMR vaccine (which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella) are considered protected. The CDC recommends children get two doses of MMR vaccine, the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second at 4 to 6 years of age. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93 percent effective, the CDC says.

Teenagers and adults should check their vaccination records and if you do not have written documentation of receiving a measles shot, should get vaccinated.

Adults born before 1957 are generally believed to be immune to measles due to having been exposed to the illness.

Adults who received a measles vaccine in the 1960s may or may not need to be revaccinated, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving live measles vaccine in the 1960s do not need to be revaccinated.

Those vaccinated before 1968, however, should check with their doctor on their immunity status. From 1963 through 1967, measles immunizations were done with an inactivated (killed) measles vaccine, which was not effective. Those vaccinated with the killed measles vaccine or with a measles vaccine of an unknown type should be revaccinated.

The bottom line: If you're not sure of your vaccination status, the CDC suggests getting an MMR shot as a precaution.

Measles is a very contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes and can linger in the air and on surfaces for as much as two hours after an infected person leaves the room or area. It has a 90 percent airborne contagion rate.

If you suspect you have the measles, DO NOT show up at your doctor's office, the emergency room or any health provider; call them in advance so they can take precautions to protect others from exposure.

Measles symptoms usually develop 10 to 12 days after exposure to an infected person and generally last from 7 to 10 days. Initial symptoms include a fever which may exceed 104 degrees, cough, runny nose and inflamed eyes, followed by small white dots that may form inside the mouth 2 to 3 days after the start of symptoms followed by a red flat rash which usually starts on the face before spreading to other parts of the body 3 to 5 days after the start of symptoms, the Ocean County Health Department said.

Measles have a complication rate of approximately 30 percent, which means that the initial infection will cause other health problems for almost one-third of those infected. Complications may be severe for pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems, as well as children less than 5 years of age. Pneumonia, brain inflammation and corneal ulceration are among such potential complications.

Before the measles vaccination program started in 1963, an estimated 3 to 4 million people got measles each year in the United States. Of these, approximately 500,000 cases were reported each year to CDC; of these, 400 to 500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 1,000 developed encephalitis (brain swelling) from measles. Since then, widespread use of measles vaccine has led to a greater than 99 percent reduction in measles cases compared with the pre-vaccine era.

However, measles is still common in other countries. Unvaccinated people continue to get measles while abroad and bring the disease into the United States and spread it to others.

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