Protect Loved Ones, Your Community from Measles
By Southcentral Foundation Corporate Communications
Keeping up to date on immunizations is your best defense and can keep measles from spreading.
Your primary care team at Southcentral Foundation is available to discuss your health care at any time. You may have noticed measles making local, national, and even global news. While the news may feel overwhelming, getting the facts will help you make informed decisions. Here are some steps you can take to reduce your risk of measles.
Don’t panic! There has only been one confirmed case of measles in Alaska this year. The case involved an unvaccinated individual who traveled overseas. Further spread was avoided by rapid medical and public health responses, and the high number of people in the community who have been vaccinated against the disease. Measles is highly preventable if you are vaccinated.
Learn the facts. Measles is among the most infectious of all diseases and is especially dangerous to unvaccinated children and unvaccinated pregnant women. The measles vaccine is safe and can provide up to 97% protection from contraction when exposed and reduce the risk of the severe complications. Unvaccinated children who contract measles have a one in four risk of hospitalization, and one in 20 may develop pneumonia. Additionally, unvaccinated children are at a greater risk for serious medical complications.
Check your vaccination records. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) combo vaccine series starting at 1 year of age. Alaskans can check their immunization record on the Alaska Department of Health web page, the Docket phone app, or through your primary care team. Due to the long-lasting protective effect of the MMR vaccine, most adults who were vaccinated as children or were born prior to 1957 do not need additional vaccines. It is recommended that children receive their first dose of measles vaccine between 12-15 months of age, and their second dose between 4-6 years of age.
You can get vaccinated now! If you or your loved ones are not up to date with your measles vaccine, you can get vaccinated now. While early vaccination is recommended due to the risks for younger kids, the vaccine is effective for older children and adults.
Know the signs and symptoms. Symptoms often include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a rash that breaks out 3-5 days after the first symptoms begin. Measles is an airborne illness, spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Connect with your primary care team. When making health care decisions, it is natural to have questions. Primary care providers at Southcentral Foundation welcome discussions about decisions that affect your family’s health. Your primary care team is ready to address any reservations or concerns you may have. When fewer people are vaccinated in a community, the risk of deadly outbreaks increases. When most people are immunized, communities and those most vulnerable to severe disease are safer from life-threatening complications from diseases like measles.
For more information about your immunization status, contact your primary care team directly by sending a secure message through MyHealth, or by visiting here to find the clinic nearest you.
