Med Center weighs in on measles in the Commonwealth
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – With the recent measles exposure in northern Kentucky, many people are wondering if the likelihood of measles becoming a major issue after decades of near non-existence in the U.S. is a real possibility.
The good news is that vaccination rates are still very high, and the Measles Mumps and Rubella vaccine is one of the safest vaccines around. With almost 70 years of use, all testing and studies indicate that it is not only highly effective, but incredibly safe.
Dr. Suman Shekar at Med Center Health in Bowling Green says it is important in this time of vaccine skepticism to ensure children are still getting this important immunization on schedule.
“Once the kids are not vaccinated and they’re exposed to measles, they the it’s more than 90% chance that the kid or the adult will get measles. And the measles, like, you know, it can be a very severe infection starting like that fever. And we say three C’s, so that is cough Karissa and conjunctivitis,” Shekar said.
More good news is that Shekar said that it is never too late to get an MMR vaccine and that many people who have immigrated to the region from paces with less robust vaccine programs may want to think about getting theirs, which helps keep them and their community safe.
