Medical professionals warn of growing measles outbreak during Carnival season

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — With Carnival season in full swing and thousands of visitors expected, medical professionals are growing more concerned about the increasing measles outbreak.

“We are seeing really quite an unprecedented measles outbreak, both in Texas and in New Mexico,” Dr. Markalain Dery said. “This virus is, really one of the most, if not the most infectious virus we have.” 

The largest outbreak is currently in Texas. As of Feb. 25, 124 cases of measles have been reported, in mostly children, since late January, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. 

18 of the patients have been hospitalized. All but five cases involve unvaccinated people or people with unknown vaccination status.

“As we know, there was one person that came in from Texas that had COVID in February of 2020, well, that one person led to 500 transmissions here in New Orleans, which led to 50,000 cases. I fear that something like that could potentially happen with measles,” Dery said.

According to the CDC, in the 2023-2024 school year, the MMR vaccination rate in Louisiana was 92.7%. The Federal Health Department aims for a 95% vaccination rate to prevent a spread. 

Dery says if you’re unvaccinated, you should stay away from crowds and parades.

“Measles will find those individuals that are unvaccinated. We can count on that. You may feel fine, but you still may be able to transmit virus. Very serious consequences can happen to children who are not vaccinated,” Dery said.

The CDC says two doses of the vaccine are 97% effective. Very few vaccinated people, about three out of 100, will still get measles if exposed to the virus. 

For those who are vaccinated and wondering about the need for a booster shot, Dery recommends checking your antibody levels before deciding another round of the vaccine. 

“The recommendation for those individuals who have been previously vaccinated, you’re likely to be fine. But sure, if it’s possible for you to check your antibody levels, we refer those as titers, absolutely go and get those titers,” Dery said.

Early symptoms generally appear about 7 to 14 days after a person is infected. measles typically begins with high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. If symptoms develop, call your doctor, stay at home, and avoid school, work and any large gatherings.

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