The St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force has reconvened as a proactive measure as measles cases are growing nationwide, and include a few reported cases in Missouri.
While the Task Force is educating and informing the public about the measles virus, its symptoms, preventive measures, and how to manage suspected exposure, Dr. Alex Garza says the infectious disease potential is extremely low – for now.
“Immunization rates are below 95% in our region. The highly infectious nature of the measles virus has put the St. Louis community at risk”
“We have not seen any secondary cases from this initial case, meaning it does not appear that everyone is susceptible to the virus,” said Garza.
He suggests that individuals who are not immunized, and were exposed to measles, contracted the virus.
Although the city of St. Louis has a low rate of cases, “we are not necessarily out of the woods.”
Immunization rates are below 95% in our region. This rate accompanied with the highly infectious nature of measles virus puts the St. Louis community at risk.
On Tuesday, Johns Hopkins University researchers released a county-level report that revealed a national decline in the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccination rate among U.S. children since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Out of 2,066 counties studies, 1,614 counties, or 78%, reported drops in vaccinations. The average county-level vaccination rate fell from 93.92% pre-pandemic to 91.26% post-pandemic—an average decline of 2.67%, moving further away from the 95% herd immunity threshold to predict or limit the spread of measles.
Only four of the 33 states studied—California, Connecticut, Maine, and New York—reported an increase in the median county-level vaccination rate.
Nationally, 92.9% of non-Hispanic African Americans ages 13 to 17 have received the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination, which is compared to 92.8% of white Americans, according to the U.S. Office of Minority Health.
The rate falls to 88.8% for Black children under six years old, while the rate of MMR vaccination for white children is 92.2%.
Experts say the vulnerable populations, such as the young and immunocompromised, are at a heightened risk.
Garza added that the city population has a relatively low vaccination rate for measles. With more cases occurring around the country, there is a potential that the St. Louis region will see more cases in the metro area in the future.
According to Garza, the measles virus is considered one of, if not the most infectious, virus in the world. It has an infection rate of more than 90%, meaning that if one infected person enters a room with 10 unvaccinated people, nine out of 10 will contract measles.
“You can see why it is so important to identify cases, and the people exposed,” he said.
Garza recommends being fully vaccinated. The measles vaccine has been used for decades and is extremely safe and effective–and a single dose of the MMR vaccine gives someone 93% protection against the measles, and the recommended two-shot series gives you 97% protection.
The Task Force consists of area hospital systems and public health department leaders. Health care systems work together with public health departments and coordinate with elected leaders and state and federal agencies when needed for the public health and safety of the region.
Garza said regional healthcare providers “Have been working together with our partners in public health through the old Pandemic Task Force structure to make sure that everyone understands what to look for, who to contact, what testing needs to take place, protocols for handling patients, as well as public messaging.”
Garza believes getting this information out is imperative for the health of the city. The nature of how measles spread is what makes it so threatening.
According to Garza, the virus has an incubation period, meaning from the time someone is exposed until they start having symptoms, of around six to 21 days.
The initial cold-like symptoms typically appear between five and seven days after initial exposure to the measles virus, but it can sometimes take 21 days for symptoms to appear. He says that within three to four days of those first symptoms, patients will develop the characteristic measles rash, which usually starts at the head before moving downward to the extremities.
“The rash has a distinctive pattern of flat red spots with some raised bumps, something called a maculopapular rash if you hear that word,” Garza said.
Some cases have shown individuals developing small spots inside their mouth before the appearance of a rash. People with measles are typically contagious four days before the rash appears until approximately four days after the rash has gone away.
“If you think you have measles or have been exposed to measles and are not immune (not vaccinated). Go to urgent care or the emergency department first so they know you are coming and can take the appropriate precautions to protect other people who may be susceptible, like those immunocompromised patients.”