Lubbock health officials are giving people one more reason to get the measles vaccine.
The virus could lead to a potentially deadly disorder years down the road.
This reminder comes as Lubbock Public Health Director Katherine Wells warns that the Texas outbreak will likely last for months.
She was joined by Lubbock doctors at a news conference on Thursday afternoon, who all emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated.
“Young babies of working parents are now being exposed to measles and us as a community really needs to work to increase our vaccination rates,” Wells said.
Right now, the Lubbock vaccination rate for MMR is about 92%, but Lubbock doctors say we need to reach 95% for what they call herd immunity.
“We have a pretty high rate but it’s just not high enough. It’s going to spread a little slower except in those very, patient populations that are very vulnerable,” said Dr. Ron Cook, Public Health Authority.
Measles is one of the most infectious diseases, and there is no antiviral medication that can cure it.
Health officials continue to say that the best and safest way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated.
“It keeps you from getting real sick. You still might get a little bit sick but remember that your body’s immune system now knows what it looks like and is ready to do battle,” said Crockett Tidwell, Pharmacist & Clinical Services Manager at United Supermarkets.
Doctors say there have been no reported deaths as a result of the vaccine, while not getting vaccinated can leave you susceptible to the virus and further complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, deafness, and impaired cognitive function.
The effects of this disease can also return later to harm the victim again.
“There is a very rare but very serious complication that can occur. A subacute sclerosing panencephalitis that is very deadly,” said Dr. Ana Montanez, Pediatrician at Texas Tech Physicians.
SSPE tends to occur seven to 10 years after being infected with measles.
It’s a progressive and incurable brain disorder that causes mental deterioration, muscle jerks, and seizures.
“The way to prevent all of this from happening is to be vaccinated,” Montanez said.
Young children are considered the most vulnerable to measles.
This is why local health leaders have decided to update vaccine guidelines, encouraging an early dose for newborns as young as 6 months.
Newborns have some antibodies passed to them during pregnancy, but they don’t last forever.
“Those antibodies last until about 6 months of age and then after that they start waning a little bit, they start falling off and don’t protect as much,” Cook said.
The state health department confirmed 561 cases of measles earlier this week. KCBD expects new data on Friday.
The Texas outbreak, which started in January, has nearly two times the number of cases that were reported across the country last year, according to the CDC.
Three people, including two children, have died, all were unvaccinated.
