Measles cases rise in Pennsylvania, doctor urges parents to stay alert
Pennsylvania is seeing a record-breaking number of measles cases this year, with Lancaster County reporting the majority, and a Pittsburgh-based doctor advising parents to monitor symptoms and prioritize vaccinations.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease doctor, said there are a record-breaking number of measles cases this year, not only in the United States but also in Pennsylvania. While most cases are concentrated elsewhere in the state, he warned parents in the region not to get too comfortable.
“This isn’t something that is remote from the Pittsburgh area. This is not something that’s just happening in Lancaster County. Pittsburgh is vulnerable to measles outbreak,” Adalja said.
Lancaster County has reported 104 of the state’s total 176 cases. Closer to the area, Indiana County has already reported three cases. Measles was originally eliminated in 2000, but now it’s back.
Adalja explained that vaccination rates have fallen over the last couple of years, contributing to the resurgence of the disease.
“The only reason we’re seeing it now is because vaccination rates have fallen below the threshold that we called the herd immunity threshold. This is something that we’ve had a solution to since the 1960s, but for whatever reason people have now turned against that technology,” he said.
He also warned parents to watch for symptoms of measles if there has been an exposure.
“So cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis, which means red eyes,” the doctor said.
The virus spreads easily through the air and can live for up to two hours in an airspace after an infected person leaves the area. Symptoms usually appear in seven to 14 days but could take as long as 21 days after exposure.
The best way to protect children against measles is through vaccinations, which typically start around 12 to 15 months of age, followed by a booster around 5 years old.