07-03-2025
Measles outbreak makes headway in U.S., Hampton Roads doctor weighs in
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A local physician is urging people to take the spread of measles seriously as it has surfaced and is moving through the U.S. rapidly during flu season.
'Measles is a very highly contagious viral infection,' said Dr. Hyeon Choi with Sentara Pediatric Physicians. 'It starts usually with high fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis. You may get some white spots inside your mouth. And then, the sort of the classic, or hallmark, is that you get this rash that starts about day three to five. It starts from your face, head down, and then moves all the way down to cover the rest of your body.'
In the United States, a lot of attention is on a major outbreak in Texas. According to the , that one has now climbed to more than 150 cases, including the death of an unvaccinated child. And now, there are new cases spouting up in New York, Pennsylvania and Florida.
'You are actually contagious from four days prior to the onset of the rash,' Choi said. 'So four days after the rash has started, most will recover within one to two weeks. However, many people can get complications from the measles infection, which is very serious — 10% will get ear infection, 5% will get pneumonia, and one out of every 1,000 will get encephalitis.
Up to 20% of people with measles will end up being hospitalized due to the complications. And unfortunately, one to three out of every 1,000 will die from measles.
Many in the health industry, including Choi, point to lower vaccination rates. Those not vaccinated or who have comprised immune systems and younger patient populations are cited to be most a risk. For the 2023-2024 school year in Hampton Roads, the vaccination rate was 94.2%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
'We want the level to be at 95%,' Choi said. 'So we are just under where we would see herd immunity. What's interesting is, the previous year, we were at 95.8%. So we have dropped a little bit now nationally. In all of us for the … previous school year, we were only at 92.7%. So that's where we have to be careful … as we become more complacent about vaccine preventable diseases.'
Among medical and religious exemptions, there's another reason as to why parents may be pulling back on vaccinating their kids, Choi said.
'Unfortunately, there has been an increased sort of vaccine hesitancy recently,' she said. 'I think it's gotten worse since COVID, and there's a lot of information and misinformation in the media.'
She recommends talking to someone you trust, such as a doctor or a pediatrician, and avoid getting information from social media. Most importantly, Choi strongly advises to get vaccinated.
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