Measles outbreaks - How would you proceed?

[SilverMoon010]

This question came to mind since I just received an article about a "potential" case of measles in my county.  I say "potential" because the article doesn't even confirm if the man actually HAS measles. It just says, "A man may have contracted measles."  Enough to get the town's panties in a bunch I suppose.  They went on to list the actual stores this man who MAY have contacted measles ventured into during the past week. 

Anyway, when it comes to measles outbreaks, if you have youngsters at home who aren't vaccinated, would you prefer them to be exposed to the measles virus at a younger age (say between 1 and 4), meaning you would take less precautions during an outbreak, or would you take all precautions during a measles outbreak if they were that age and hope they don't get it until they are older (say 5 and up) if at all? 

Edited by SilverMoon010 - 4/28/11 at 5:42pm

[Bokonon]

I would just live my life as usual, and maybe be more cognizant about potential symptoms, but not really worry about it.

The chances that my kids would be infected through such passive exposure would be practically nil, and honestly I don't worry that much about measles if they did get it.  DS is mostly vaxed but DD has not gotten the MMR.

[mamakah]

We just had an "outbreak" of measles in my city, and I carried on as usual. I actually was kind of hoping we would just get it and get it over with. I'm not sure we'll have an opportunity to get wild measles again and it would be nice to never have to think about the MMR again.I paid close attention to DS and tried to keep him away from babies while the outbreak was going on *just in case* he had it and wasn't showing symptoms yet. I didn't want him to be a Typhoid Mary. he he.That's all I did though.

Are you worried about measles?

[SilverMoon010]

Originally Posted by mamakah 

I actually was kind of hoping we would just get it and get it over with.

That's how I am feeling about it too, so my DS could get lifelong immunity and call it a day.  What actually triggered my question above was that I was reading some homeopathic stuff and I read about a homeopathic treatment that you can take for prevention of measles if you think you have been exposed. I'm questioning if we were ever near this man who may have been exposed, would we want to try to prevent it right off the bat with the homeopathic treatment?  My DS is only 3, so my next thought is that he is still my baby and so young to me. Therefore, I feel I would want try everything to prevent it at his age (without vaccine).  BUT, is it better for them to get it earlier, like 3, rather than later? Maybe I wouldn't want to try to prevent it at his age? I don't know, which is why I'm asking the experts here on MDC Parts of me feels like this is a very stupid question because if there is a natural substance to prevent measles, why wouldn't I want to prevent it in every case we were exposed? But the other part of me thinks about the lifelong immunity, too, and I hear measles are generally no big deal in healthy children. I'd rather him never get it at all, but I don't know that will happen for sure.  I would love to hear experiences of children who have had measles at 3 or slightly older.

If he got measles at his age now, no, I would not be worried.  I feel prepared in how to take care of a child with measles as I have several books on it There's not a whole lot you can do but let it run its course and keep the child comfortable as much as possible. I hear Vit A  is the treatment of choice, as vitamin deficiencies, particularly A deficiencies, can cause complications.

Edited by SilverMoon010 - 4/29/11 at 5:01am

[PenelopeJune]

The school nurse "casually" told me yesterday about a measles outbreak in X City (40 miles away). This, just three days after reminding me that if there is an outbreak in the school my kids can be excluded for a very, very, very long time. I just said, "Oh." Because...I don't care. First, I think the chances of my kids actually getting it are slim, and second, because if they do get it, I am just not that worried.  I know it really chaps her hide that we don't vax, and since I work in the same school district she gets to see me and be reminded of that fact a lot.

Of course I wanted to know how many cases, how many of those were vaccinated, but I knew I wouldn't get unbiased answers from her.

[PenelopeJune]

Sorry I don't know how to edit my previous post.

I searched. The "outbreak" is one unvaccinated high schooler. One. Am I the only one who thinks that "outbreak" is a fear-mongering word when there is only ONE person with measles? I was picturing 5 or more people, at the very least.

[SilverMoon010]

Originally Posted by PenelopeJune 

Sorry I don't know how to edit my previous post.

I searched. The "outbreak" is one unvaccinated high schooler. One. Am I the only one who thinks that "outbreak" is a fear-mongering word when there is only ONE person with measles? I was picturing 5 or more people, at the very least.

I thought the same thing at first too, but then I read they consider one case of measles an outbreak because it's highly contagious.  They say somewhere like 90% of those unvaccinated who come into contact with someone exposed will get the measles virus. (Not sure how accurate that is though and they never seem to mention the percentage of those that are vaccinated who may get it, or even the fact the vaccinated CAN get it.)

I certainly agree with the fear-mongering thing.  Look how they posted that article in my state about a man who has not even been confirmed that he has measles, but they are posting every store he has been to.  They don't even mention if he has been quarantined, which is pretty important info.  All they said is he may have caught it from someone who recently traveled to Italy and that there is an outbreak in Europe. 

Edited by SilverMoon010 - 4/29/11 at 5:58am

[seawitch]

We live in a city where there is a current outbreak, and my daughter came down with it (I'm 99% sure it was that) yesterday but she's woken up pretty much perfect this morning.  I'm waiting for my son to get it now, and I hope it passes just as easily for him.  We didn't even know about the outbreak until my husband and I looked at her and were like, is this measles?  We looked it up and found out there was an outbreak going on like RIGHT NOW in our city.  So... I'm 99% sure that's what's up.

Do people have measles parties like they have chicken pox parties??

ETA - She is 3.  To Silver - the "babies" they usually refer to as being semi-dangerous to is the under-6 months category.  I know a 3 year old is still YOUR baby (just like my DD is still my baby) but according to measles she's not. ;)  And they say the younger you are the easier it passes.  If DD did indeed have a case of it, which is likely, she passed through it super easily.

[Marnica]

To OP -

I probably would choose to prevent with homeopathics only if  DS had had KNOWN exposure. Many suspected cases of measles are not actually measles, so Id have to have far more info about this man before I took any kind of action.

To Magnolia Dragon - If your child "came down" with whatever yesterday and if fine today - I HIGHLY doubt she has/had measles. Measles rashes are very distinctive and there is a prodromal phase that includes other various distinctive symptoms. That is why lots of "suspeted" measles cases turn out to be something else. There are dozens upon dozens of viral illneses that produce rashes.

[seawitch]

She hasn't come down with the symptoms yesterday, she came down with the rash yesterday.  She's had the sniffly nose, diarrhea, watery eyes, cough, etc. for a few days before, but we thought it was a cold.  She had a mild fever in the morning, under 100 but a little warm.  And then she got the rash after, and it's almost all gone today.  I read that the rash can resolve in 24 hours.  The rash looked almost identical to the one shown on several sites.

ETA: Not to mention we went to one of the same stores they wrote about in the article as the affected man having been to.  It may NOT be measles... and if so, that's OK with me... but I do suspect it might be.

Edited by seawitch - 4/29/11 at 6:53am

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by MagnoliaDragon 

She hasn't come down with the symptoms yesterday, she came down with the rash yesterday.  She's had the sniffly nose, diarrhea, watery eyes, cough, etc. for a few days before, but we thought it was a cold.  She had a mild fever in the morning, under 100 but a little warm.  And then she got the rash after, and it's almost all gone today.  I read that the rash can resolve in 24 hours.  The rash looked almost identical to the one shown on several sites.

ETA: Not to mention we went to one of the same stores they wrote about in the article as the affected man having been to.  It may NOT be measles... and if so, that's OK with me... but I do suspect it might be.

If it were and it was that mild, that would be great! I suppose the only way you would know would be to obtain a measles titre in a couple of weeks/months. Honestly though it doesn't sound like measles. A measles rash usually lasts 5-6 days, starts at the hairline and spreads downwards and outwards over the next 2-3 days. Did your daughter have koplick spots? This would be a clinical indicator for sure.  Ive never read that a measles rash can resolve that quickly - do you remember where you read that? Ive read that the rash that can come after a measles vaccine usually resolves in 24-48 hours however.
 

[mamakah]

Originally Posted by PenelopeJune 

Sorry I don't know how to edit my previous post.

I searched. The "outbreak" is one unvaccinated high schooler. One. Am I the only one who thinks that "outbreak" is a fear-mongering word when there is only ONE person with measles? I was picturing 5 or more people, at the very least.

It's actually 9 confirmed cases now- if you're talking about the Utah outbreak, which started with one unvaccinated high schooler.

Silvermoon- My DS is 3 also and I remember reading somewhere that ages 2-5 is a good time to have measles...I have no idea where I read that though and don't know what it's based on. 

[PenelopeJune]

No, mamakah, I was talking about Kansas City.

[mamakah]

Ok, I wasn't sure. The "unvaccinated high schooler" made me think it was the Utah story!

[PenelopeJune]

No worries, Mamakah. Funny that both "outbreaks" started the same way.

I had to take my daughter to a health clinic for a school assessment. The NP was very impressed at my daughter's excellent health. I commented, "Yeah, even though we are both in the same class (I work in her preschool) I catch all the colds and she doesn't!" The NP said, "Well, that must be because she...wait, has she had all her shots?" I said no. I explained that she had the Hep B at birth, and then the first series of shots at 2 months, but that we now have a religious exemption on file with the school. The NP was incredulous that DD was so healthy having not had all of the shots, but then backtracked and said, "But she had two series of Hep B, and that's probably the most important."

So there you have it. My daughter doesn't catch as many colds as I do because she had two series of the Hep B.

[Chloebelle]

Originally Posted by PenelopeJune 

No worries, Mamakah. Funny that both "outbreaks" started the same way.

I had to take my daughter to a health clinic for a school assessment. The NP was very impressed at my daughter's excellent health. I commented, "Yeah, even though we are both in the same class (I work in her preschool) I catch all the colds and she doesn't!" The NP said, "Well, that must be because she...wait, has she had all her shots?" I said no. I explained that she had the Hep B at birth, and then the first series of shots at 2 months, but that we now have a religious exemption on file with the school. The NP was incredulous that DD was so healthy having not had all of the shots, but then backtracked and said, "But she had two series of Hep B, and that's probably the most important."

So there you have it. My daughter doesn't catch as many colds as I do because she had two series of the Hep B.

Wow. There are no words...

[SilverMoon010]

Originally Posted by PenelopeJune 

"Well, that must be because she...wait, has she had all her shots?" I said no. I explained that she had the Hep B at birth, and then the first series of shots at 2 months, but that we now have a religious exemption on file with the school. The NP was incredulous that DD was so healthy having not had all of the shots, but then backtracked and said, "But she had two series of Hep B, and that's probably the most important."

So there you have it. My daughter doesn't catch as many colds as I do because she had two series of the Hep B.

I would have had to ask her how she figures that one.  I would have loved to hear her response.....Talk about grasping at straws.

[PenelopeJune]

Heh. It's cool. I mean, I'm not a doctor, or anything, but I have a hunch that the Hep B vaccine doesn't do much in the way of stopping a person from catching colds. Call me crazy. 

I don't even feel the need to argue with them anymore, as their points are so weak. I mean, I could think of some pretty good pro-vaccine arguments, but they never seem to use them. All their arguments are really stupid. And really, if vaccines stop a person from catching colds, then I should catch less than either of my children, as I've had more vaccines than either of them. And my son should catch less than my daughter, as he had more than her. But, headscratchingly enough, it's exactly the opposite. I catch every cold that comes through the school, my son catches about every second cold, and my daughter every third or fourth cold. And also, mine are also the worst in severity, followed by my son, and my daughter's are really, really weak and quick. (Not saying that vaccines cause a person to catch more colds, it probably has nothing to do with it. But....)

[Lazy Gardens]

Originally Posted by SilverMoon010 

I thought the same thing at first too, but then I read they consider one case of measles an outbreak because it's highly contagious.  They say somewhere like 90% of those unvaccinated who come into contact with someone exposed will get the measles virus. (Not sure how accurate that is though and they never seem to mention the percentage of those that are vaccinated who may get it, or even the fact the vaccinated CAN get it.)

Measles is EXTREMELY contagious: One of the infants in the 2008 Tucson outbreak caught measles in the ER. The infant was in a room across the hall from the infected one for about 45 minutes (for some other problem). In the San Diego outbreak, one of the infants who caught measles was at the same pediatrician's office, but well after the infected child had left the building. That infant was hospitalized for several days with measles pneumonia.

[Lazy Gardens]

And really, if vaccines stop a person from catching colds, then I should catch less than either of my children, as I've had more vaccines than either of them. And my son should catch less than my daughter, as he had more than her.

Your initial premise is inaccurate - vaccines do not prevent colds. Vaccines are very specifically targeted against specific viruses, and will not keep you from infection with all the other viruses out there. There are no commercial vaccines against the common upper respiratory viruses. You would need 200+ different vaccines to cover the known causes (I cringe at the thought of THAT syringefull)