Measles outbreak in Omaha & Lincoln, NE

[Omaha Steve]

Preschool-aged child tests positive for measles in Lancaster County: http://www.livewellnebraska.com/health/preschool-aged-child-tests-positive-for-measles-in-lancaster-county/article_0ec7717c-a286-11e4-aed1-6396e283c1ed.html

Posted: Thursday, January 22, 2015 4:28 pm
By Bob Glissmann / World-Herald staff writer

A preschool-aged child in Lancaster County who had received an initial measles immunization several years ago has tested positive for the measles, health officials said Thursday.

The child no longer is contagious and the source of the exposure still is being investigated, according to officials with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. No schools or child care centers are connected to this case, and it does not appear to be connected to the recent case in the Omaha-Blair area, officials said.

"To prevent the spread of this highly contagious disease to a health provider's office, it's important to contact the provider by phone before taking a person with symptoms to the office," said Judy Halstead, the department's health director.

Two doses of measles-containing vaccine -- the MMR vaccine -- are more than 99 percent effective in preventing measles. Measles vaccines have been available in the United States since 1963, and two doses have been recommended since 1989. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children get the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age, health officials said.

And... Health department: Individual diagnosed with measles spent time in Omaha, Blair: http://www.ketv.com/news/health-department-individual-diagnosed-with-measles-spent-time-in-omaha-blair/30839902

OMAHA, Neb. —The Douglas County Health Department has issued a health alert after someone who recently spent time in Omaha and Blair was just diagnosed with a confirmed case of measles.

Video: Health officials warn of possible measles exposure

Measles, a highly contagious viral illness, spreads through the air by breathing, coughing or sneezing. Officials said the measles is so contagious that any person who is exposed to it and not immune will likely get the disease.

The individual diagnosed spent time at a few known locations in the past week, where others could have been infected.

The locations include:

Country Bible Church near Blair on Sunday, Jan. 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Costco at 12300 West Dodge Road on Monday, Jan. 12 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Omaha Children's Museum on Thursday, Jan. 15 from 12 to 5:30 p.m.
Blair Dance Center on Thursday, Jan. 15 from 4 to 7 p.m.
The infected individual also visited a physician's office, which will be contacting anyone who may have been there during a time when they were at risk of exposure.

If you were at any of these locations and born in or after 1957, officials urge that you check with your doctor to make sure you've received two doses of the measles vaccine. If you, or anyone in your family, have not received two doses of the measles vaccine and visited the above locations during the listed times, please call your doctor right away to discuss your options.

FULL story and video at link.

[enlightenment]

1. First case reported in Las Vegas today.

2015 is well on its way to outdistancing last year (with 644 cases, the most since 2000) - and it's only January.

Governments, state and federal, need to start cracking down on this anti-vax nonsense.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/us/measles-cases-linked-to-disneyland-rise-and-debate-over-vaccinations-intensifies.html?_r=0

Great comment from this article:

Dr. James Cherry, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the outbreak was “100 percent connected” to the anti-immunization campaign. “It wouldn’t have happened otherwise — it wouldn’t have gone anywhere,” he said. “There are some pretty dumb people out there.”

[beam me up scottie]

10. "How anti-vaxxers do statistics:"

[marym625]

2. We all knew this was coming

And until people start immunizing their kids at all the intervals they're supposed to, it will get worse.

Judging from recent news, it's going to be bad, soon

[Omaha Steve]

3. From the OP "had received an initial measles immunization several years ago"

Many parents don't seem to understand it is recommended to get a booster shot.

I called my kids about themselves and my grand kids tonight to think about getting a booster shot.

Marta and I both had it as kids.

[marym625]

4. I thought kids couldn't attend school

If they didn't get the booster at certain grades? I think it's 1st, 5th and high school?

Sounds like all of should get one

[hatrack]

5. In some states (though not all) you can get the Jeeezus Waiver

And then wave it around, I guess.

Preferably after your infectious four-year-old has handled it.

Sorry, I got distracted there - what fucking century is it?

[marym625]

6. The 19th?

Judging from the racism, misogyny, diseases, lack of unions, money over everything etc I would say 19th possibly early 20th

[phantom power]

8. it's all about freedumb!

[hatrack]

9. Hey PP, know what day tomorrow is?

[phantom power]

18. I give up, what day is it?

[hatrack]

19. Freedumb Friday, of course!

More to come this evening in E&E - stand by!

[Mariana]

20. "A preschool-aged child in Lancaster County..."

Was this child old enough to get a booster shot?

[Omaha Steve]

21. One between the ages of 12 to 18 months, and the other between the ages of 4 to 6 years or 11 to 12

Going by this, no.

[MiniMe]

7. I had the measles around 1962. Do I still need to be vaccinated?

Had them in the middle of a heat wave in CA, it was not pleasant!

[enlightenment]

11. I don't think so.

But you should ask your doctor if boosters of other childhood diseases (typhus, diphtheria, etc) might be warranted. They can do blood tests to check your immunity status, also.

[Omaha Steve]

13. If you had chickenpox back then

You need to think about the shingles shot.

[MiniMe]

16. I did have chickenpox, around 1967

I think I have had the shingles shot. Shingles scares me more than anything at this point. I had mumps too, but I don't remember having rubella. There was no chicken pox vaccine when I was young. It was the old thing if you had a friend who had the chicken pox they sent you over to basically catch it and get it out of the way.

[Mariana]

22. I only remember having rubella

because my parents told me I had rubella at the time. I wasn't very sick at all, I was up and around.

I had to give chicken pox to my brother so we could get it out of the house. My sister had a medical problem that made chicken pox especially dangerous for her, so she lived at the neighbor's house while we were sick. She got an experimental chicken pox vaccine, too. No idea if it worked, or if my folks were just successful at preventing her from being exposed. That was in 1973.

[Omaha Steve]

14. I looked it up

https://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih1/diseases/activities/activity5_measles-database.htm

Measles—Immunity
There are three kinds of immunity to measles: passive immunity, natural immunity, and immunity derived from vaccination. Infants born to mothers who have either had measles or been vaccinated are protected by maternal antibodies; that is, they have passive immunity. This protection lasts six months on average, and then the child becomes susceptible to measles. A person is naturally immune if he or she has had contact with the measles virus and has developed antibodies against it. People born before 1957 are considered naturally immune because of the high probability that they were exposed to the virus during childhood. People born after 1957 are considered immune if they have been fully vaccinated, have had a confirmed case of measles, or have had blood tests that confirm previous exposure to the virus. Full vaccination requires two doses of vaccine: one between the ages of 12 to 18 months, and the other between the ages of 4 to 6 years or 11 to 12 years. (The second dose helps catch the small number of people who do not become immunized by the first dose.)

[MiniMe]

15. They mention before 1957 and after 1957, but don't mention if you were born IN 1957

Which I was. Like I said, I had red measles, so I think that works better than the vaccine.

Thanks for taking the time to look that up.

[orleans]

12. i wonder if they went to disneyland

"as the measles outbreak that started at Disneyland grew to at least 70 cases Wednesday, much of the attention has focused on how the vast majority of patients were not vaccinated for the highly contagious disease.

"But some medical experts also have expressed concern about the five patients who contracted measles despite being fully vaccinated.

"Their cases point to a lesser-known aspect of the measles vaccine: That even those who get the shots have a small risk of getting sick, especially older people who were immunized in the 1960s, '70s and '80s."
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-measles-spread-20150122-story.html

[Yo_Mama]

17. My brothers and I were all vaxxed in the early 1960s, and we got another one

in the late 70s, because one of us got measles.

I think adults really need a booster shot - vaccination immunity wanes naturally. There are blood tests you can have done to see your immunity levels, and I think older adults should consider having those, and then have the shot again if they have low levels of immunity.

Because the reality is that more and more people aren't getting vaccinated, and we are constantly getting cases imported into the country.

Kids of course need the vaccination.