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<\/a>LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. \u2014<\/p>\nHospitals are ramping up safety protocols and urging vaccinations as measles cases continue to rise, according to Dr. John Goldman, an infectious disease specialist at UPMC. <\/p>\n
Infectious disease expert surprised by measles\u2019 return<\/p>\n
“I would have never thought that this was coming back,” Goldman said. Before the recent outbreak, he had only encountered two cases of measles in his career, attributing one to “our lack of knowledge at the time” and the other to “just somebody with bad luck.” <\/p>\n
Goldman emphasized the highly contagious nature of measles, explaining, “You can get it just by being in the same room as someone with measles two hours after they\u2019ve left.” <\/p>\n
Hospitals screen and isolate symptomatic patients<\/p>\n
Hospitals are now screening patients for symptoms such as fever, cough, and rash. “We are screening people if they have symptoms consistent with measles. If they\u2019re not vaccinated, we very quickly will put them in measles precautions,” Goldman said. <\/p>\n
Patients showing symptoms are immediately isolated to prevent further exposure. “We very quickly get a mask on, get you in what\u2019s called a negative pressure room, a room where the air is being sucked out so it doesn\u2019t go out into the hallway, for example,” he said. <\/p>\n
Health department recommends additional vaccine<\/p>\n
Goldman noted that 100% of the people diagnosed with measles have been unvaccinated. In response, the Department of Health is recommending an additional measles vaccine for children starting at six months, in addition to the standard vaccine at 12 months. <\/p>\n
Contact tracing helps limit measles spread<\/p>\n
Hospitals are also conducting contact tracing to limit the spread of the disease. “If someone is unvaccinated and exposed, if we can get them a vaccine within 72 hours, it becomes much less likely that they\u2019ll get measles. So, we generally call people, try to find out how old they are, see if they likely had measles as a child, and try to find out if they\u2019re vaccinated,” Goldman said. <\/p>\n
Vaccination key to achieving herd immunity<\/p>\n
Goldman strongly recommends vaccination, highlighting its importance in preventing the spread of measles. “One person with measles will infect approximately 16 others, whereas a person with the flu will only infect three or four,” he said. <\/p>\n
While Goldman said cases will eventually decline, he explained, “We are going to achieve herd immunity to measles one way or the other. We\u2019re either going to achieve it because enough people go out and get vaccinated, or we\u2019re going to achieve it because the virus will go through the population.” <\/p>\n
Goldman assured that hospitals have protocols in place to protect patients and families and urged people not to let fear prevent them from seeking medical care.<\/p>\n
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