俄亥俄州麻疹爆發，因對疫苗之猶豫而加劇
資料來源：麗莎·奧瑪麗/2022 年 12 月 20 日/Medscape/財團法人台灣紅絲帶基金會編譯
俄亥俄州麻疹疫情繼續擴大，目前病例總數為 81 例——在短短 2 週內增加了 37%。
爆發疫情的主要衛生官員表示，傳播背後的驅動力是疫苗猶豫不決。 大多數受感染的兒童未接種疫苗，但其年齡應足以接種麻疹、腮腺炎和風疹 (MMR) 疫苗，該疫苗預防麻疹的有效率為 97%。
「我認為這些人正在決定不保護他們的孩子免受疫苗可預防的疾病的侵害，其中一些人正在做出不使用 MMR 疫苗的具體決定」，哥倫布公共衛生專員 Mysheika W. Roberts 醫學博士說，告訴 JAMA。
她說，父母拒絕給孩子接種疫苗是因為錯誤地認為疫苗會導致自閉症。
羅伯茨說：「我們正在敲響警鐘，如果您的孩子已達接種年齡且未接種疫苗，他們應該盡快接種疫苗」。她指出，她目前還沒有看到這種情況發生得更多。
衛生官員預測，始於 11 月的疫情將至少持續數月。 麻疹的傳染性如此之強，以至於房間內 10 個未接種疫苗的人中有 9 個會在暴露後被感染。
所有的感染都發生在兒童身上。 根據哥倫布公共衛生麻疹儀表板，在 81 例確診病例中：
• 29 名兒童已住院。
• 22 例為 1 歲以下兒童。
• 沒有死亡報告。
羅伯茨說，住院的孩子出現了脫水、腹瀉和肺炎等症狀。 有些人不得不去重症加護病房。
CDC 說，麻疹感染會導致皮疹和體溫飆升至華氏 104 度以上的發燒。有時，這種疾病會導致腦腫脹、腦損傷甚至死亡。
據《代頓每日新聞》報導，最近的一個病例是一名住在離疫情開始地 45 英里以外因年齡太小無法接種疫苗的嬰兒。這是克拉克縣 20 多年來的首例病例。 由於宗教或道德上的反對，該地區小學中至少有 10% 的幼兒園兒童家長選擇不接種疫苗。
春田市的 Rocking Horse 社區健康中心首席醫療官 Yamini Teegala 醫學博士告訴《代頓每日新聞》：「我們知道這會到來。這只是時間問題，而不是是否會發生」。
這是今年第二次爆發麻疹疫情。 據《美國醫學會雜誌》報導，自 6 月以來，明尼蘇達州在一次不相關的疫情中記錄了 22 例病例。
資料來源：
美國醫學協會雜誌：「在俄亥俄州麻疹爆發期間，新的全球報告警告說在 COVID-19 大流行期間疫苗接種減少」。
哥倫佈公共衛生：「麻疹公共報告」。
哥倫布電訊報：「哥倫布公共衛生部宣布第四個公眾接觸麻疹病例的地點」。
CDC：「父母需要了解的關於麻疹的 4 大事情」。
代頓每日新聞：「嬰兒麻疹確診為克拉克縣 20 年來首例病例」。
Ohio Measles Outbreak Grows, Fueled By Vaccine Hesitancy
Lisa O’Mary/December 20, 2022/Medscape
The Ohio measles outbreak continues to expand, with cases now totaling 81 — a 37% increase in the course of just 2 weeks.
The lead health official where the outbreak is occurring said the driving force behind the spread is vaccine hesitancy. Most of the children infected were unvaccinated but were old enough to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot, which is 97% effective at preventing measles.
“I think these are individuals who are making a decision not to protect their children against vaccine-preventable diseases, and some of them are making a specific decision not to use the MMR vaccine,” Columbus Public Health Commissioner Mysheika W. Roberts, MD, told JAMA.
She said that parents’ refusal to vaccinate their children was due to a misconception that the vaccine causes autism.
“We’re sounding the alarm that if your child is of age and not vaccinated, they should get vaccinated ASAP,” Roberts said, noting that she hasn’t seen that happening more.
Health officials have predicted the outbreak, which started in November, will last at least several months. Measles is so contagious that 9 out of 10 unvaccinated people in a room will become infected if exposed.
All of the infections have been in children. According to the Columbus Public Health measles dashboard, of the 81 confirmed cases:
•29 children have been hospitalized.
•22 cases are among children under 1 year old.
•No deaths have been reported.
Roberts said the hospitalized children have had symptoms including dehydration, diarrhea, and pneumonia. Some have had to go to the intensive care unit.
Measles infection causes a rash and a fever that can spike beyond 104 F. Sometimes, the illness can lead to brain swelling, brain damage, and even death, the CDC says.
One of the most recent cases was an infant too young to be vaccinated who lives 45 miles away from where the outbreak began, the Dayton Daily News reported. That’s the first case in Clark County in more than 20 years. At least 10% of kindergarteners’ parents in the region’s elementary schools opted out of vaccines due to religious or moral objections.
“We knew this was coming. It was a matter of when, not if,” Yamini Teegala, MD, chief medical officer at Rocking Horse Community Health Center in Springfield, told the Dayton Daily News.
This is the second measles outbreak this year. Minnesota tallied 22 cases since June in an unrelated outbreak, JAMA reported.
Sources:
The Journal of the American Medical Association: “Amid Ohio Measles Outbreak, New Global Report Warns of Decreased Vaccination During COVID-19 Pandemic.”
Columbus Public Health: “Measles Public Report.”
The Columbus Dispatch: “Columbus Public Health announces fourth site with public exposure to measles case.”
CDC: “Top 4 Things Parents Need to Know about Measles.”
Dayton Daily News: “Infant with measles confirmed as first case in Clark County in 20 years.”