Measles case identified in North Carolina, NCDHHS urges vaccination

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced  one confirmed case of measles in North Carolina on Sept. 9. 

The child residing in Mecklenburg County who tested positive for the virus likely contracted it through international travel. This is the first measles case identified in North Carolina since 2018. 

North Carolina Rep. Sarah Crawford (D- Wake) who serves on the North Carolina Health House Standing Committee said the parents isolated the child at home after returning to North Carolina, with the exception of one medical visit. 

Medical Director of the UNC Infectious Diseases Clinic Claire Farel said the symptoms of measles are relatively similar to cold-like symptoms and can include a fever, runny nose, cough and rash. Since measles is a rare virus, cases are confirmed through laboratory testing, like blood tests and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, UNC Professor of Medicine David Weber said.

There have been at least 247 confirmed cases of measles in the United States this year, according to UNC Gillings School of Public Health Professor Noel Brewer. All of the cases have been contracted outside the United States and enter through international travel.

Weber also said measles is the most infectious disease in the world and is easily transmittable through the air. For every single person who contracts measles, there are between 12 and 18 people who are susceptible to contracting measles, he said.  

Farel said there are certain groups of people who are more vulnerable to the contraction and contamination of measles, such as immunocompromised people, the elderly and unvaccinated people. 

The NCDHHS urges residents of North Carolina to get the necessary MMR vaccination, which is administered in two doses. According to Farel, one dose of the vaccination is 93 percent effective in preventing measles and two doses of the vaccination is 97 percent effective. 

Farel explained that when 95 percent of a community is vaccinated, the community develops herd immunity. The recent measles case, Farel said, is partially the result of the percentage of people vaccinated for measles dropping below 95 percent. 

“The vaccination rates for kids decreased during the pandemic, which is probably what we’re seeing the aftermath of now,” Farel said, “so vaccinations that were required for kids to attend school were thrown off course during the pandemic, and so there was a real decrease below 95 percent at that time.”

Many people are unaware of the severity and danger of measles, Brewer said.  Measles can lead to encephalitis, according to Weber, which is a chronic disability that causes swelling of brain tissue. 

North Carolina Rep. Maria Cervania (D- Wake), who also works as an epidemiologist, said many people hesitate to vaccinate themselves or their children because of misinformation.  

“The narrative about vaccinations has really impacted the number of people engaging in preventative vaccination,” Cervania said. 

Weber said there were myths that the measles vaccine caused autism, but those myths have since been debunked and the claims have been withdrawn. 

“Every child should receive their doses of the measles vaccine, and if people are older and haven’t received the measles vaccine, they should get it too to protect themselves and protect their loved ones,” Weber said.

The combination of an increase in global cases of measles, the lapse in vaccines and misinformation surrounding measles vaccinations all contribute to the spread of measles, Crawford said.

Crawford said funding vaccine clinics and awareness campaigns is important to prevent another measles outbreak in North Carolina. 

Cervania said North Carolina’s public health system has handled the existing situation well through immediate action. She also said the state is striving towards proactive prevention of an outbreak, which should include increasing vaccination awareness and accessibility, as well as reinforcing immunization requirements. 

@KristinKharrat 

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