According to USA Today, there have been over 100 confirmed cases of measles in 15 different states, 92 percent of which are related to the outbreak that occurred at Disneyland in California.
The states in which measles cases have been reported include California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois and the District of Columbia.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can linger in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after the infected person leaves the room. A single person infected with the measles virus can infect 12 to 18 people in the time they have the virus, where as the average Influenza patient can infect one to four people.
Symptoms of measles includes fever, red and sore eyes, a runny nose, cough and a rash. Measles can also lead to more deadly health conditions such as pneumonia and encephalitis.
According to L.A. Times, Disneyland employees who came into contact with measles-stricken coworkers or visitors have been asked to stay home unless they can show proof of vaccination or take a blood test to show immunity to the virus.
The outbreak has also sparked a national vaccination debate. Several on both sides of the political spectrum such as former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky have weighed in on the discussion of whether childhood vaccination should be mandatory.
According to The Washington Post, Clinton recently tweeted, “The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork.”
Paul joined the debate by making an unfounded claim that there are “many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines.” He later tweeted, “I did not say that vaccines caused disorders, just that they were temporarily related — I did not allege causation.”
According to CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, vaccines prevent six million deaths worldwide each year. Measles vaccination in this country has reduced the rate of infection by 99 percent when compared to times when no vaccine was available.
Feature photo credit: Associated Press
