The World Health Organization declared measles eliminated in the United States in 2000. As of March 14 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 58 measle cases in the U.S.
According to the Florida Department of Health, 11 measles cases were reported in Florida, with nine of them in Broward County.
Grace Phillips, sophomore chemistry major, is distressed by the ongoing measles outbreak.
“I have been hearing a lot of reports about this virus spreading. It confused me since I thought almost everyone gets the measles vaccine when they are a child,” Phillips said. “I volunteer at a hospital and heard that they were dealing with a lot of patients coming in with the virus.”
When a measles outbreak happened at Manatee Bay Elementary, Joseph A. Ladapo, Florida surgeon general, did not urge unvaccinated students to stay home, but deferred the choice to parents.
Ladapo wrote this “due to the high immunity rate in the community.”
Aarti Raja, NSU virology professor and The Current’s health desk adviser, said that the measles outbreak should be concerning due to the virus’s ability to spread.
“Although measles predominantly affects or is riskier for young children, it is very contagious. It is much more contagious than any of the other viruses we were dealing with, like influenza, the flu or even COVID-19,” Raja said. “If one person has SARS, they are likely to transmit it to maybe two other people in their vicinity, but with measles it can infect up to 9 to 11 others if they are not immune or vaccinated.”
There is potential for rapid spread given that the measles vaccination rate has decreased in the previous years.
“But in the last few years, we have seen a dip in the vaccination rate of the population or number of people who are getting vaccines in general,” Raja said. “As a result, if you have people in the population who are not vaccinated, then they will likely get the virus. They will likely get sick as a result of getting the virus and possibly spread it.”
Raja emphasized the importance of vaccinations in protecting others against the spread of the virus.
“The measles vaccine has been around for many decades, and it’s one of those vaccines that research has shown to be close to 99% effective in its ability to protect the body. The problem is if someone chooses not to take the vaccine, there is always a risk of getting the virus and spreading the disease.
“People may think it is just a cold or a cough and they will get over it, and a relatively healthy individual will probably be able to fight off the virus, but the virus can be very risky when it affects very young children,” Raja said.
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