The Alabama Department of Public Health confirmed that a child under the age of five in North Alabama has the measles. It’s the first case of measles confirmed in the state since 2002.
Officials say the unvaccinated child contracted measles while traveling outside the United States.
According to ADPH, the child wasn’t attending daycare or school. Officials say the siblings of the child are vaccinated and don’t have any symptoms of measles.
The Alabama Department of Public Health urges parents to make sure their children are up to date with measles vaccinations. If exposed, unvaccinated people have a 90 percent chance of becoming infected. The disease can be spread several days before a person can become symptomatic.
ADPH officials say measles first develops as a fever, cough, runny nose, and watery red eyes, followed by a rash. People can start spreading the virus up to four days before symptoms appear.
There is no specific antiviral drug available to treat measles. Health officials says parents can manage symptoms by ensuring the child gets plenty of fluid and rest, a non-aspirin fever medicine like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be given.
For most children, measles protection is part of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR), or measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine, given when children are 12 to 15 months old and again when they are 4 to 6 years-old. The first MMR vaccine can be given to babies as young as 6 months of age if they will be traveling internationally or during an outbreak. Estimates of the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine are 99 percent in measles prevention after the second vaccination.
Parents should call a doctor immediately if they believe their child has measles or if their child has been around someone who has measles, especially if their child is an infant.
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