Opinion: A rash of bad judgment
As of July 30, 1,618 cases of measles had been reported in the province amid the worst outbreak in almost 50 years, far surpassing the 1986 peak of 843 cases.
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We're not alone. Ontario has reported almost 2,300 cases since October of last year. And there are multiple outbreaks in the U.S., the largest of which straddles Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
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There has long been ready access to a measles vaccine (administered as MMR — measles, mumps and rubella inoculations), which has been shown time and again to be safe and highly effective. Yet, most measles cases are occurring in individuals who are not immunized (more than three-quarters of them children).
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The knee-jerk response to this situation, perhaps, as a pediatrician, is one of indignation: How can people be so ignorant? But is that justified? Are people really being 'ignorant'?
Because what's the big deal? Isn't measles just a routine childhood illness, characterized by a fever, cough and runny nose, followed by a funky rash that fades in less than a week?
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There's a lot of truth to that. But it's not the whole truth. The illness isn't nearly as scary as polio or smallpox, which carry case fatality rates of up to five per cent and 30 per cent respectively (measles, by comparison, typically has a case fatality rate of 0.1 to 0.3 per cent).
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But that doesn't mean it's benign for everyone. While there have been no deaths in Alberta during this outbreak, 128 individuals required hospitalization as of July 19, 15 of them requiring intensive care. In Ontario, an infant recently died of measles-related illness; and two children have succumbed to complications of measles in Texas.
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And measles causes 'immune amnesia,' which can last months to years and renders patients more susceptible to other infections. Add in the rare, delayed (typically by six to 10 years) brain-destroying cases of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, and those 'measles parties' of yore don't look so benign.
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It's useful to review past outbreaks. During the 1989 to 1991 explosion of cases in the U.S., more than 55,000 cases were reported and more than 130 people died, the majority of them preschool-aged children; California was particularly hard hit, with 35 deaths of infants under one year of age.
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Mint
14 minutes ago
- Mint
The race to find a measles treatment as infections surge
As a record number of people in the U.S. are sickened with measles, researchers are resurrecting the search for something long-deemed redundant: treatments for the viral disease. After the measles vaccine was introduced in the 1960s, cases of the disease plummeted. By 2000, federal officials had declared measles eliminated from the U.S. This success led to little interest in the development of treatments. But now, as vaccination rates fall and infections rise, scientists are racing to develop drugs they say could prevent or treat the disease in vulnerable and unvaccinated people. 'In America, we don't like being told what to do, but we like to have options for our medicine chest," said Marc Elia, chairman of the board of Invivyd, a Massachusetts-based drugmaker that started working on a monoclonal antibody for measles this spring. Scientists across the country including at biotechs Invivyd and Saravir Biopharma—and institutions such as Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Georgia State University—are in the early stages of measles-treatment development. The drugs are still a ways from becoming available to patients but could offer alternatives to people who are immunocompromised, don't respond to the measles vaccine or are vaccine skeptics. Some doctors and researchers warn that measles treatments could further drive the drop in vaccination. Nationally, 92.5% of kindergartners received the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, shot in the 2024-2025 school year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. In 2019-2020, the vaccination rate was over 95%, which is the rate encouraged by health authorities to prevent community transmission of measles. More than 1,300 people, most of them unvaccinated, have been diagnosed with measles this year—a 33-year high. 'One of the motivations of getting the vaccine right now is that there are no treatments," said Dr. Joel Warsh, a pediatrician who says more research is needed into immunization safety. Still, Invivyd is betting its measles monoclonal antibody could help curb infections and outbreaks. Unlike the MMR vaccine, which is designed to train the body to make its own antibodies—proteins that help defeat specific pathogens—monoclonal antibodies are lab-made versions that can be delivered intravenously or as an injection and boost immunity immediately. Antibody treatments could treat someone who is sick or help prevent measles in people recently exposed to the virus. They could benefit newborns and immunocompromised people who can't be vaccinated, as well as the minority of people who don't respond to the vaccine or whose immunity has waned. The treatments could offer weeks or months of protection against measles, researchers said. 'Think of it like antivenom after a snake bite," said Erica Ollmann Saphire, chief executive of the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, whose lab is developing its own monoclonal antibodies for measles. 'Even people unsure about vaccines, if they are already sick with measles, getting an antibody treatment could be palatable." Saphire's lab has identified a few antibodies that have shown promise in animal tests. Invivyd said it hoped to have a drug candidate by the end of the year. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dr. James Crowe, a pediatric infectious-disease specialist, has found success with a half-dozen antibodies that still need to be tested in people. In searching for a treatment, researchers have been forced to better understand measles, which Crowe said hadn't been as thoroughly studied as some other ailments because the vaccine had been so successful. The body's immune response to measles, for instance, hadn't been well understood. But he and other researchers now have a clearer picture of how measles antibodies work. Some block the virus from attaching to cells, while others interfere with a mechanism that allows the virus to fuse with cell membranes. Alternatives to vaccination could be especially appealing among some communities in Texas, where Dr. Ben Edwards practices family medicine and has treated hundreds of measles patients, he said. Many of them were from a Mennonite community hard-hit by a recent measles outbreak and where vaccination rates are low. 'They're going to want to look at the data though," he said. 'There's been a tremendous uptick in lack of trust in medicine." Edwards said he understands why many of his patients are skeptical of the MMR vaccine, which he said lacked adequate safety data. The MMR shot remains the best and only way to prevent measles, the CDC said. Multiple large-scale studies conducted over decades have proven the MMR vaccine to be very safe and effective, the agency said. Edwards said it makes sense to develop treatments—both drugs and alternative remedies—for measles so people have options. He said it was logical to think that more people would opt out of vaccination if effective treatments existed. Edwards, who had never treated a measles patient until this year, said he advised patients to take vitamin A supplements such as cod liver oil. He said he also treated about one-third of his measles patients with budesonide, an inhalable steroid medication used to treat asthma, to help alleviate respiratory problems. His approach attracted the attention of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who praised Edwards as an 'extraordinary" healer. Neither vitamin A supplements nor budesonide are considered measles treatments, said the Infectious Diseases Society of America, though budesonide can be used to treat complications from the illness. Some studies show that people with vitamin A deficiencies can get sicker from the virus, but there is no evidence that patients who aren't deficient will benefit from taking more of it, said John Lednicky, a microbiologist at the University of Florida. 'The typical American is not deficient," he said. 'And if you take too much, it will make you sick." Measles can cause severe acute disease and rarely death, but also 'immune amnesia," which causes the body to forget how to fight other infections, doctors said. Richard Plemper, a biomedical scientist at Georgia State University whose lab is developing an oral antiviral treatment for the virus family that includes measles, said he thinks people who want to get vaccinated will still do so, whether treatments are available or not. The antiviral he is working on, which is designed to block the ability of viruses including measles from replicating, has shown efficacy in animal experiments. But Plemper said he isn't sure how his lab will fund further research. Scheduled tests for the antiviral compound in dogs were canceled recently after National Institutes of Health funding was terminated. Saravir Biopharma, which was launched in July in collaboration with Columbia University to develop a measles monoclonal antibody, is banking on a continuing decline in vaccination rates to further fuel a need for measles treatments—and in turn, more investor interest. 'This is just the beginning," said Dr. Ron Moss, Saravir's CEO. 'I don't see public-health officials in this country turning around and saying everyone will need to get vaccinated in the next couple of years." Moss said Saravir's antibody treatment, which is designed to stop the measles virus from fusing with the body's cells, could be tested in people as soon as next year. Write to Dominique Mosbergen at
Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Why are measles cases still rising in the UK?
More than one in 10 children under the age of five haven't had their MMR vaccine 🚨 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Measles cases have continued to increase across the UK. More than one in 10 children under the age of five in England haven't had the MMR vaccine. Since the last report on July 3, there has been an increase of 145 cases. Health officials are warning parents to get their children vaccinated. Parents are being urged to vaccinate their children against measles after cases continue to increase across the UK. More than one in 10 children under the age of five in England haven't had their Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine or are only partially vaccinated. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Measles is highly contagious and can have serious complications. Parents are being urged to ensure children are protected with two doses of the MMR vaccine at the right time. The latest data on cases in England from the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that 145 measles cases have been reported since its last publication on July 3. Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said: 'The summer months offer parents an important opportunity to ensure their children's vaccinations are up to date, giving them the best possible protection when the new school term begins. It is never too late to catch up. Do not put it off and regret it later.' Cases of measles have been increasing rapidly. |Is there a measles outbreak? Measles cases have been on the rise since January 1. Latest data from the UKHSA shows that there have been 674 laboratory-confirmed cases reported in England, an increase of 145 cases since the last report on July 3, 2025. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Of those cases 48% (322) have been in London, 16% (111) in the North West, and 10% (65) in the East of England. Why are measles cases still rising in the UK? Cases of measles are still rising due to a global increase in cases combined with a decline in the uptake of the MMR vaccine. In the UK, vaccination rates are well below the World Health Organisation's (WHO) target of 95%, leaving thousands of children unprotected. How to check if your child has had the MMR vaccine If you are unsure whether your child is up to date with their MMR vaccinations, you can check their vaccination Red Book or contact your GP practice. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, said: 'The MMR vaccine is provided free by the NHS and I would urge all parents to check their child's vaccination records before the new school year or summer travel, particularly as Europe is reporting the highest number of measles cases in 25 years.' The first MMR vaccine is offered to babies aged one, with the second dose given to pre-school children around 3 years and 4 months. The UKHSA states that around 99% of those who have both doses will be protected against measles and rubella. Although mumps protection is slightly lower, cases in vaccinated people are much less severe. Anyone, at any age, who has not had two doses of the MMR vaccine can contact their GP surgery to book an appointment.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Why are measles cases still rising in the UK?
More than one in 10 children under the age of five haven't had their MMR vaccine 🚨 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Measles cases have continued to increase across the UK. More than one in 10 children under the age of five in England haven't had the MMR vaccine. Since the last report on July 3, there has been an increase of 145 cases. Health officials are warning parents to get their children vaccinated. Parents are being urged to vaccinate their children against measles after cases continue to increase across the UK. More than one in 10 children under the age of five in England haven't had their Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine or are only partially vaccinated. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Measles is highly contagious and can have serious complications. Parents are being urged to ensure children are protected with two doses of the MMR vaccine at the right time. The latest data on cases in England from the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that 145 measles cases have been reported since its last publication on July 3. Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said: 'The summer months offer parents an important opportunity to ensure their children's vaccinations are up to date, giving them the best possible protection when the new school term begins. It is never too late to catch up. Do not put it off and regret it later.' Cases of measles have been increasing rapidly. |Is there a measles outbreak? Measles cases have been on the rise since January 1. Latest data from the UKHSA shows that there have been 674 laboratory-confirmed cases reported in England, an increase of 145 cases since the last report on July 3, 2025. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Of those cases 48% (322) have been in London, 16% (111) in the North West, and 10% (65) in the East of England. Why are measles cases still rising in the UK? Cases of measles are still rising due to a global increase in cases combined with a decline in the uptake of the MMR vaccine. In the UK, vaccination rates are well below the World Health Organisation's (WHO) target of 95%, leaving thousands of children unprotected. How to check if your child has had the MMR vaccine If you are unsure whether your child is up to date with their MMR vaccinations, you can check their vaccination Red Book or contact your GP practice. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, said: 'The MMR vaccine is provided free by the NHS and I would urge all parents to check their child's vaccination records before the new school year or summer travel, particularly as Europe is reporting the highest number of measles cases in 25 years.' The first MMR vaccine is offered to babies aged one, with the second dose given to pre-school children around 3 years and 4 months. The UKHSA states that around 99% of those who have both doses will be protected against measles and rubella. Although mumps protection is slightly lower, cases in vaccinated people are much less severe. Anyone, at any age, who has not had two doses of the MMR vaccine can contact their GP surgery to book an appointment. You can find out more about the signs and symptoms of measles and how to get a MMR vaccine at
