Brooklyn Park Clinic Reacts to Measles Spike
As new numbers show measles cases are on the rise, doctors at a Brooklyn Park clinic say measles can spread very easily. Doctors at Hennepin Healthcare say the best weapon against measles is vaccination.
Measles Cases Skyrocket
New figures from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention show the most significant number of cases reported since 1994. As of April 26, the CDC reported 704 cases of measles in the United States since the beginning of 2019.
Doctors at the Hennepin Health Care Brooklyn Park clinic says many patients are coming in with lots of questions.
“Most of us have never seen a case of measles,” said Dr. Rachael Rapacz.
She says that’s because measles spread quickly. The virus can be in tiny particles in the air and can stay active for several hours.
Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, rash, and sores in mouth tiny white spots with bluish-white centers on a red background found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek — also called Koplik’s spots.
Doctors say the re-emergence of measles is linked to parents who have chosen not to vaccinate their children against the virus.
“We know now that the MMR vaccine for about two decades now has not had additional chemicals in it a lot of the folks who are anti-vaccine are concerned about,” explained Dr. Rapacz.
The Brooklyn Park doctor says the best weapon against measles is vaccination.
“With doses of the vaccine, we’re very, very sure of immunity,” says Dr. Rapacz.
The doctor also says adults need to check their vaccination records. Anyone who was vaccinated before 1980 needs to make sure they’ve had two doses of the measles vaccine. If you’re not sure, your doctor can run a test to check for immunity.
