Measles cases are on the rise across the nation, and could be just a flight away from the greater Cortland Area, Tompkins County Whole Health announced this week.
While there are no current cases of measles reported in Central New York, two have been reported this year in New York City. Concern is also mounting as the outbreak in Texas grows, 146 cases as of Tuesday.
“Measles is as close to all of us as one infected person flying or driving into our area, which has happened in years past,” said Dr. William Klepack, Tompkins County Whole Health’s medical director.
Measles can be transmitted by contact with someone infected or a contaminated surface. Symptoms can take between one to two weeks to appear, and can include a high fever, cough, runny or congested nose, sore throat and watery eyes. A rash may also appear, and fevers may rise above 104 degrees.
The disease can be prevented with a two-dose vaccine that is 97% effective, the agency reports. Because measles is so contagious, a community must have 95% of people vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.
“Our local rate of only 85% vaccination rate for children between ages 2 and 3 is unacceptably low,” Klepack said. “We should be concerned about our low vaccination rates, as the risk of hospitalization significantly increases for those unvaccinated, especially if under the age of 5. For everyone 100 persons hospitalized from measles, we can expect up to three to four deaths to occur.”
“Vaccination in our region has decreased too far in recent years,” Klepack said. “It makes the spread of measles in our region very likely should we have a case come here.”
If you were born before 1957 you are considered immune. If you are pregnant and have not been vaccinated, you will need to wait until after your pregnancy to be vaccinated.
Tompkins County Whole Health offers low or no-cost immunization clinics from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. every Friday. The clinics are appointment only, call 607-274-6604 to learn more or to schedule an appointment.
