Clark County Health Department Explains the Measles, Part 3
Wednesday, February 18th, 2015 -- 11:57 AM
-The U.S. has seen an increase in Measles cases for 2015.Many of the cases are linked back to a theme park in California where officials believe someone exposed to the disease overseas recently vacationed to.
Laura Betthauser, with the Clark County Health Department, provided more details about the Measles vaccine.
She said, "The Measles vaccination is known as the MMR vaccine because it's a combination vaccine that provides protection, no only from Measles, but also for Mumps and Rubella as well. The current recommendation is that children should receive two doses of MMR vaccine. The first dose you usually get around the age of 12-15 months. And then the second dose at age 4-6 years of age. If you're an adult, the recommendation is to have at least one dose. However, if you are a college student, if you work in health care or if you travel internationally, then it's recommended for you to have two MMR vaccinations."
"One dose of MMR is about 93% effective in preventing Measles and two doses is about 97% effective in preventing Measles, so a very effective vaccine."
So far, two possible Measles cases were identified in Portage County, but one case tested has come back negative and the other case is still pending.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.