MEMPHIS, Tenn. — There is a rising concern across the country as measles, a once eradicated disease, makes a comeback.
Although the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that measles was eradicated in the U.S. back in 2000, cities nationwide are dealing with outbreaks. In just the three first months of 2024 there have been more cases in the United States than the entirety of 2023.
“I feel like I have woken up in a different world,” said Jessica Coletti. The Chicago mother was left in shock when her son Vincent contracted the airborne illness.
Coletti's son is just three years old, and is not old enough to receive the full doses of the MMR vaccine.
“I honestly thought he was going to die in my arms, and I just kept telling him, ‘Mommy’s getting help and you’re going to be ok,’” said Coletti.
Methodist Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Shirin Mazumder says these outbreaks likely boil down to growing vaccine fatigue, misconceptions that the vaccine causes autism, and delays in normal childhood vaccinations.
“According to the CDC around 61 million doses of measles containing vaccine was either missed or postponed between 2020 and 2022,” said Mazumder.
The CDC reported only 93% of kindergarteners received their MMR vaccinations, as opposed to the 95% Mazumder says is needed to achieve ‘herd immunity.’
“Where enough of the population is vaccinated that if one person gets the infection, then there won’t be outbreaks of the infection,” said Mazumder.
Overall doctors say the best thing to do is get vaccinated, and speak with your healthcare provider if you are concerned about the vaccine.
For reference, the Measles vaccine was first introduced back in the 1960’s, and two doses boast a 97% effective rate with catching the disease.
“It’s ok to go out and say ‘Hey, I’m going to get an MMR just to be safe just to protect me,’ it couldn’t be more important to make sure that you’re protecting yourself, your family and your neighbors,” said Dr. Michelle Taylor, Shelby County Health Department Director.
No measles cases have been detected in Shelby County at this time. According to SCHD, the last outbreak the county saw was close to a decade ago, but this was mitigated thanks to contact tracing.
If you would like to get vaccinated, you can go to most major pharmacies.
Symptoms of the disease include a rash, high fever, and tiny white spots inside the mouth. It takes roughly 12 days before you realize you may have caught it.
If you think you have been exposed to Measles, the first thing you should do is contact your healthcare provider to help determine what you need to do next.