Off The Record
The “World’s Most Infectious Disease” Has Been Detected, Prompting A Red Alert In Washington, DC
Washington, D.C., health officials have verified a measles case in a patient who traveled to several places while infected.
During the past week, the person visited two Amtrak stations and an urgent care facility in the nation’s capital.
It is recommended that anyone who has not received the MMR vaccine or who received their injections prior to 1968 and has come into contact with an infected individual get in touch with their healthcare provider.
On March 19, the patient boarded a Southbound Amtrak Northeast Regional 175 Train from Union Station between 7 and 11 p.m.
On March 22, between 7 and 11 p.m., they went to the MedStar Urgent Care Adams Morgan, located at 1805 Columbia Road, according to local health officials.
higher than 300 people have been affected by the US’s expanding measles outbreak, primarily in West Texas. This is higher than the number of cases nationwide last year.
It coincides with declining vaccination rates and a decline in confidence in public health organizations.
Weeks after Maryland health officials identified three measles cases in residents who had gone overseas and passed through Washington Dulles airport, the city of Washington issued a health alert.
The epidemics in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas had nothing to do with those cases.
The DC case’s specifics are yet unknown, and it’s unclear if it has anything to do with foreign travel.
At about 92% of kindergarteners, DC has the lowest immunization rate in the DMV, which is less than the 95% required to prevent measles.
According to a 2024 analysis published in Education Week, the percentage is 94 percent in Virginia and 97 percent in Maryland.
Because the virus is highly contagious—roughly 90% of unvaccinated individuals would contract it if exposed—high vaccination rates are necessary to stop outbreaks.
It is the most contagious illness that humans are aware of.
One Medical, a health company run by Amazon, is providing vaccination visits for individuals without immunity in reaction to the DMV instances.
For anyone who were immunized prior to 1968 and may have gotten less effective vaccines, booster shots are advised.
So far this year, 17 states have reported 378 cases of measles, which is more than the 285 instances reported in all of last year.
The first confirmed measles death since 2015 occurred in Texas, involving a six-year-old child. Investigations are underway into another fatality in New Mexico.
The effectiveness of the MMR vaccine against measles is thought to be 97%.
About one in every 1,000 people who contract measles die from complications like pneumonia or brain enlargement if they are not vaccinated.
Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Washington state are the US states having confirmed measles cases thus far this year.
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