Measles Outbreak Reported In NYC

Parents are very concerned about the health of their children--what they eat, are they getting enough exercise, etc. A lot of my patients who are parents remind me of my mother who still lives in Brooklyn. Even now, at 93, my mother still comments on my weight. Well, that's mothers for you.Yet some parents are very lax in getting their children vaccinated against childhood diseases such as mumps and measles. They figure that those diseases are a thing of the past, that they don't exist anymore. Well I've got news for them. Those childhood illnesses are making a comeback.Just a few weeks ago, the Health Department of the City of New York reported an outbreak of measles in the city. The initial cases started in the Bronx and spread to the Lower East Side. The 25 cases reported then included 12 children and 13 adults. Today it is 28 cases.The Health Department defines "measles as a virus that is highly contagious whose symptoms included a generalized rash and high fever, accompanied by a cough, red eyes, and runny nose, lasting five to six days. The rash begins on the face and spreads down the body, and may include the palms of the hands and soles of their feet."Most of the New York cases of the measles occurred after individuals or immigrants visited countries that had measles outbreaks. Other cases occurred by random exposure to sick individuals. So it is important when traveling abroad to pay attention to US Consular health advisories concerning foreign travel.I cannot say enough that the vaccines are very safe and that any side effects are minimal and may include soreness where the shot was given.Those who should be inoculated are babies at 12 months of age. Two doses are measles vaccine are required for full protection. Children usually get the second dose at 4 to 6 years of age before going to school. Also older children and adults should get the vaccine if not already done so. It's never too late to be vaccinated.