Newborns and Measles
Newborns and Measles
https://www.vox.com/2019/1/27/18199514/measles-outbreak-2018-clark-county-washington
Measles is wildly contagious and during an outbreak, it can spread, especially to older infants who aren’t vaccinated yet. … Over 95% of babies who get the shot at 12 months of age are protected against measles and over 99% are protected for a lifetime after the 2nd dose (given at least 1 month later).
Measles is an airborne disease that spreads easily through the coughs and sneezes of infected people. It may also be spread through contact with saliva or nasal secretions. Nine out of ten people who are not immune and share living space with an infected person will be infected. People are infectious to others from four days before to four days after the start of the rash. Most people do not get the disease more than once. Testing for the measles virus in suspected cases is important for public health efforts
Newborns and Measles
Infants, of course, are not supposed to get the MMR vaccine until they’re at least 12 months old, so they’re at a higher risk of contracting the disease. Here is how you can best protect your baby from measles.
A child should receive the first shot when he or she is between 12–15 months, and the second when he’s between 4–6 years of age. If you’re not sure if you have had the diseases or the vaccines (prior to 1971 it was given in three separate shots), you can get the MMR vaccine as an adult
Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. From 2001-2013, 28% of children younger than 5 years old who had measles had to be treated in the hospital. For some children, measles can lead to Pneumonia (a serious lung infection).
Breast milk also contains antibodies, which means that babies who are breastfed have passive immunity for longer. … Passive immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella can last for up to a year, which is why the MMR vaccine is given just after your baby’s first birthday.
Koplik Spots. The mouth of a patient with Koplik spots, an early sign of measles infection. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet.
Newborns and Measles
The rash usually lasts for three to five days and then fades away. In uncomplicated cases, people who get measles start to recover as soon as the rash appears and feel back to normal in about two to three weeks. But up to 40 percent of patients have complications from the virus.
