Three cases of measles have been reported this month in metro Atlanta. ATLANTA — Providers across metro Atlanta are on high alert for signs of measles, after three cases were confirmed this month in Georgia. This comes as a measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest is drawing national attention, where 31 cases have been reported. In most of those cases, the patients had not been vaccinated. “In the U.S. there are now cases of measles when just as recently as 2000, the CDC said measles was eradicated,” said 11Alive medical correspondent Dr. Sujatha Reddy. “And here we are seeing it again year after year … people avoiding vaccines is definitely the problem.” Many people have been misled by viral posts on social media that state vaccines are dangerous. Reports that vaccines cause illness or autism in children are completely unfounded, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Besides the misinformation about the vaccine going on social media, there’s also misinformation on how deadly this disease is,” said Dr. Allan Melnick with the Clark County Department of Health in Washington State. According to the CDC, there were 349 cases of measles nationwide last year alone – the second greatest number of annual cases since measles was eradicated in the U.S. 19 years ago. The highest number of measles cases was in 2014, when 667 people were ill. To put it in perspective here, six measles cases have been reported in Georgia since 2005. Dr. John Lynch, an infectious disease specialist, said the potentially deadly disease starts with flu-like symptoms. “You start developing a fever, a pretty high fever, often a cough, runny nose – what we call coriza and conjunctivitis,” Lynch said. “That cough and runny nose are full of the measles virus, and as you cough, you are spreading it to others and you are also spreading it to the environment.” So, how worried should you be? “We have a potentially deadly disease that’s contagious and we have a very effective and safe, cheap prevention for it that is specifically a measles vaccination,” Melnick said. The Georgia Department of Health said 95 percent of those who receive a vaccine develop an immunity to measles, mumps and rubella. “For the most part, if you have been vaccinated, you have nothing to worry about,” Melnick assured. “The children that you have, if they’ve been vaccinated, then there’s nothing to worry about.” Most of the cases of measles reported in Washington State are children under the age of 10. Out of the 31 cases of measles confirmed in the Northwest, 26 of those patients had not been vaccinated.<doc-sep>article Three people have been diagnosed with measles in the Atlanta area. The Georgia Department of Public Health said Tuesday all three people are part of the same family. News outlets reported two cases were confirmed Jan. 13 and the third case was confirmed Saturday. The names and ages have not been released. Health officials did not say where the family lived. Officials say no other cases have been found outside the family. RELATED: Officials urge vaccinations amid Northwest measles outbreak The department did say none of those affected had been vaccinated. Spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said in an email that the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines. Nydam says while the disease is highly contagious, it is preventable through vaccination. Advertisement There have been six measles cases in Georgia in the last 14 years.<doc-sep>On Tuesday, officials in Georgia confirmed three cases of measles in the same metro Atlanta family. The people reported having the virus had not been vaccinated. What is measles and what are the symptoms? Here’s a look at the disease. What is measles? Measles is a viral infection. What are the symptoms? High fever Cough Runny nose Red, watery eyes Tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth after two or three days A red rash that covers the body follows How does it spread? Measles is highly contagious. Measles spreads through coughing and sneezing. It can linger in the air for up to two hours after someone who is infected with the virus coughs or sneezes. Public health officials in Washington say there are up to 50 locations where those infected have said they visited during the disease’s incubation period. The places include schools, day cares, churches, a Portland Trail Blazers game, the Seattle airport and a Walmart location. Can it be prevented? The measles vaccine, which is given in two doses, is 97 percent effective against the virus. What does herd immunity mean, and why are people talking about it? When people are vaccinated, the community in which they live gains protection from outbreaks of disease. Not only are you less likely to get a disease if you have been vaccinated, but you are also less likely to come into contact with an infectious disease if others have been vaccinated. When a large segment of the community has been vaccinated, the risk for an outbreak of disease falls to near zero. When a community reaches that number, it is known as herd immunity. Herd immunity is different for every disease. Will measles kill you? While it is a miserable disease, most people recover. Complications can include pneumonia and swelling of the brain.<doc-sep>
Concern about measles has heightened after public health officials rushed to contain an outbreak in the U.S. Northwest in Oregon and in Washington, in a region with lower-than-normal vaccination rates, according to The Associated Press. Dozens have been sickened. In the past 14 years, there have been six reported cases of measles in Georgia, the most recent in 2015, according to health officials. Measles, a reportable disease, is highly contagious and is spread by airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. RELATED: What is measles and how can you prevent it? Symptoms begin with a fever, followed by a cough, runny nose, and/or red, watery eyes. After two to three days, the fever peaks and a rash appears at the hairline and spreads on the face and rest of the body. Health officials have strongly advised that parents vaccinate their children. There are two vaccination exemptions allowed by Georgia law — medical and religious. The compliance rate for the MMR vaccine for the 2017-2018 school year was 93 percent, according to the state. RELATED: Experts urge vaccinations amid measles outbreak in the Northwest In the most recent Georgia cases, public health officials have notified individuals who may have been exposed to the virus and potentially at increased risk for developing measles. So far, there have been no reports of secondary cases of measles. Anyone who becomes sick or thinks they may have been exposed to measles should contact their health care provider immediately. Because the virus is so contagious, people who think they’ve been exposed are advised not to go to the doctor’s office, the hospital or a public health clinic without calling first. Your health care provider or public health nurse will advise you about what you should do. The MMR vaccine prevents measles and two other viral diseases — mumps and rubella. More than 95 percent of the people who receive a single dose of the vaccine will develop immunity to all three viruses. A second dose boosts immunity, typically enhancing protection to 98 percent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all people be routinely vaccinated between 12 and 18 months of age, and receive a booster between 4 and 6 years of age. If adults don't have evidence of immunity, they should get at least one dose of MMR vaccine, the CDC says. Such evidence would include written documentation of vaccination or lab evidence of immunity. People born before 1957 are generally considered immune because they probably had the disease when they were younger.