Measles parties California

Just when you think you had heard everything, something happens to question the mentality of the human herd.  In California, one of worst measles afflicted states in the country, health officials are warning parents not to hold "measles parties" that intentionally expose their children to measles and other childhood diseases, according to a report by ABC News.

The trend has prompted the California Department of Public Health to strongly recommend against “the intentional exposure of children to measles as it unnecessarily places the exposed children to grave risk and could contribute to further spread of an outbreak,” the agency said in a report on Monday.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) began tracking the outbreak in California on January 1, and currently there have been 121 confirmed measles cases in the state with 19 new cases just last week.  

Some unconfirmed information suggests non-vaccinated people who had visited the Philippines were exposed, and then went to Disneyland in California. A group of non-vaccinated people visiting Disneyland in California in December are believed to have started the outbreak, but it has now spread to 17 states -- the latest being Delaware, Michigan and Nevada, according to the CDC. Last week, five babies at an Illinois daycare center were diagnosed with measles, prompting national daycare center chain KinderCare to require all staff members working with newborns to be vaccinated.

Disneyland is host to many international visitors, and measles can be brought into the US by non-vaccinated travelers who are infected in other countries, particularly in Western Europe, Pakistan, Vietnam and the Philippines. Additionally, Americans who travel overseas can contract the virus and spread it to unprotected people when they return to the US, which can lead to an outbreak, which is the reasoning on why Disneyland was ground zero for the outbreak.

There have been other US outbreaks, mainly among non-vaccinated groups. In 2014, there were more than 600 cases of measles in the US. The largest outbreak of the disease involved 383 cases, and occurred primarily among non-vaccinated people living in Amish communities in Ohio. There were also 22 other smaller outbreaks, according to the CDC. Many of the US cases in 2014 could be traced back to a large measles outbreak in the Philippines, the agency told Live Science.

Measles parties born in ignorance

Measles parties were popular in the 1950s and 1960s before the MMR vaccine program was introduced for measles, mumps and rubella. The practice of measles parties is based on the belief that infected children will build up immunity to the virus because once someone has the measles they cannot catch it again.

But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly discourages intentional measles exposure. The virus is particularly dangerous for children under five. In a worst-case scenario it can cause pneumonia, brain swelling or death.

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Dr. Richard Besser, ABC News chief health and medical editor, echoed the same concerns about measles parties.

“This is a really bad idea,” he said. “Although most children recover from chicken pox and measles without a problem, not all do. The vaccines are far safer than the diseases.”

Who should and should not get the MMR vaccination

MMR is a two-shot series of vaccines usually given during childhood. A child should receive the first shot when he 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. Talk to your doctor about it if:

• You were born after 1956. (If you were born during or before 1956, you are presumed to be immune, because many children had the diseases then.)
• You work in a medical facility.
• You are planning to or may become pregnant.

You shouldn't have the shot if:

• You have a severe allergic reaction following the first MMR shot.
• You are allergic to gelatin or neomycin.
• You may be pregnant or are planning to become pregnant in the next 4 weeks. (The vaccine is safe if you are breastfeeding.)
• Your immune system is weak because of cancer drugs, corticosteroids, or AIDS.

Over the years, some have suggested that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism. The CDC stands firm that there's no evidence to support that idea. The benefits that the vaccine brings in disease prevention far outweigh any potential risks.

Resources
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/stay-measles-parties-docs-warn-parents/story?id=28842782
http://www.livescience.com/49716-measles-outbreak-questions.html
http://www.webmd.com/children/vaccines/measles-mumps-and-rubella-mmr-vaccine