Worldwide there is an alarming spike in measles. What is measles, actually? Are you immune? Can you catch it twice?
You’ve almost certainly seen the headlines. Measles, a serious and highly contagious disease that once seemed to be eradicated, is back with a vengeance worldwide.New York City has declared a public emergency to halt a measles outbreak, and Rockland County has tried to bar unvaccinated children from public places.
One of the ways it's transmitted is by coughing and sneezing but it's not just proximity to the cough or sneeze that puts you at risk – the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours. Symptoms usually take at least 10 days to develop. In most cases, measles is uncomfortable but not life-threatening. Symptoms include a rash, which usually lasts three to five days, plus fever, cough and watery eyes.
In Australia, we have world-leading vaccine coverage, high enough to confer herd immunity, and no circulating measles strains. Brisbane's northside was on alert in mid-April after a traveller developed measles symptoms following a trip to Vietnam.“It’s like a bushfire, with ember attack coming in and seeding sparks on your roof. They are peppering Australia with measles. Sooner or later, because it’s such an infectious virus, someone will get exposed,” says Dr Catton.
The people who are most at risk of missing out on vaccines are not wealthy anti-vaxxers, they are the poor.
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