WASHINGTON — A day after the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Tom Frieden, warned about a potentially 鈥渓arge outbreak鈥� of measles, doctors are renewing their call for immunizations against the disease.
鈥淚t is extremely contagious, it鈥檚 a virus that spreads by respiratory droplets, so if anybody has the disease and they cough or sneeze on you then it鈥檚 very likely that the person who is non-vaccinated can contract the disease easily,鈥� says Dr. Avni Jain, a primary care physician with Adventist Health Care/Adventist Medical Group.
鈥淚t鈥檚 basically the unvaccinated people who keep the virus alive.鈥�
Children are vaccinated twice against measles, mumps and rubella. Once at 12 months and again around age 4.
鈥淭he vaccine is safe, effective and long-lasting,鈥� says Dr. Linda Fu, a pediatrician at the Children鈥檚 National Medical Center. 鈥淎s long as you have evidence of immunity or gotten the vaccine in childhood then you are protected,鈥� she says.
鈥淗owever, there are some kids who are in their teenage years, for whatever reason, may have missed their booster shot. It鈥檚 very important to see that a child or even an adult either had the disease or received the two necessary vaccinations,鈥� says Dr. Fu.
Anyone uncertain about his or her own immunity or a child鈥檚 immunity can be tested.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a simple blood test that we can do to check for MMR immunity,鈥� says Dr. Jain who advises anyone who is found lacking immunity to immediately get vaccinated.
In some cases it鈥檚 possible that a grownup or child properly immunized against measles could still get the disease.
鈥淚f you were one of those vaccine non-responders and you were exposed to a confirmed case of measles you could get the disease 鈥� so I would highly recommend that if you are unsure about your vaccination status that you talk to your physician right away,鈥� says Dr. Jain.
Both doctors also dismiss any concern that the MMR vaccine can cause autism in children.
鈥淭he CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics have studied that thoroughly and they believe there is no risk,鈥� says Dr. Jain.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no link between the MMR vaccine or any vaccine and autism. I, myself, have gotten my children vaccinated. I wouldn鈥檛 do that if I thought there was any risk,鈥� says Dr. Fu.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important for everyone to get vaccinated so that we can protect the community.鈥�
