CENTRE COUNTY, Pa (WJAC) — As Measles cases continue to rise statewide, we spoke with health officials in Centre County about what measures healthcare professionals are taking and what they expect to see in the coming weeks.
It’s a time that notoriously leads to the spreading of germs as back-to-school season has begun for K-12 and college students.
As of Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has confirmed two deaths and 423 measles cases across the Commonwealth, including fourteen of those cases in Centre County.
The DOH notes that none of these cases have been fully vaccinated individuals.
We spoke with Dr. Daniel McKinley of Mount Nittany Health who was able to provide some more information about vaccination options for the public.
He reiterates the message that the best thing you can do to protect yourself and others from measles is to get vaccinated. He says that the vast majority of those who received two doses of the MMR vaccine are protected and do not need a booster.
Because of school vaccination requirements, the majority of students in our area have been vaccinated against measles, and because of this, Dr. McKinley says he’s hopeful that back-to-school season will not worsen the spread.
He also says that Mount Nittany Health is more than happy to help individuals explore their vaccination options regardless of their beliefs or current vaccination status.
“We deal with a whole range of different beliefs and wishes of patients, and our goal is to work with people on what works best for them. And for someone to come in and say I’ve never been vaccinated, that’s not something we’d hold against them in any way, and we’ll be able to talk what their options are, what the risks and benefits are. But I would go ahead and say that the risks of the vaccine are incredibly low.”
Mount Nittany and the Department of Health both say that pop up clinics have been assisting in getting people in affected communities vaccinated since late April, and dozens of additional clinics are scheduled for the upcoming weeks.
Additionally, many local pharmacies also offer the measles vaccine.