Have you ever had the measles? Were you ever vaccinated for it?
If not and you live or work in the United States, or if you had only one immunization prior to 1992, you may want to have a chat with your doctor.
The disease — generally thought of as a children’s rite of passage — is making its way eastward from the West Coast. The outbreak was traced to an infected tourist at Disneyland in California, according to U.S. media.
More than 100 people have been infected so far in the outbreak, which began in December. Authorities in New York are currently tracking thousands of people who were on a train with an infected college student, ABC News reported Tuesday.
U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement from the White House, “The science is pretty indisputable, we’ve looked at this again and again. There is every reason to get vaccinated and there aren’t reasons to not,” he told parents in an effort to encourage Americans to vaccinate their children ahead of a potentially large-scale outbreak of the disease.
So far, cases have been reported in 14 states in the U.S. and in Mexico, but no deaths have been reported. Although most people – including children – recover from the disease within a few weeks, in some cases the disease can be fatal.
Measles is caused by a virus and can be highly contagious; it is especially dangerous to those with other underlying medical conditions. It is spread through the air by coughing and sneezing.
People who were vaccinated prior to 1992 generally have had only one immunization and may require a second one in order to stave off the disease.
