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The Breakdown: Measles popping up in Louisiana and Florida amid vaccine rate decline

In your Breakdown: a highly-contagious disease, once eliminated by vaccines, is popping up.

LOUISIANA, USA — Two cases of measles have now been confirmed in the New Orleans area. The Louisiana Department of Health says those people recently returned from a trip out of state.

Measles is so contagious, the CDC says 90-percent of people around an infected person will catch it if they don’t have the MMR vaccine. However, there’s only a three percent chance you’ll catch measles if you’re vaccinated. Vaccinated people are also more likely to have milder symptoms and be less likely to spread it.

A person infected with measles will typically see symptoms between one and two weeks after exposure. 

They may experience high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watering eyes. A few days later, white spots may appear inside the mouth. Soon after that, the tell-tale red, spotty rash will appear all over the body.

Measles can cause serious pregnancy complications, respiratory and neurologic issues, and it can even kill you.

Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000 thanks to widespread use of the measles vaccine.

But the World Health Organization says declining vaccination rates are jeopardizing herd immunity.

Globally, there has been a 79-percent increase in measles cases.

This week, an elementary school near Fort Lauderdale with dozens of unvaccinated children is dealing with an outbreak that has spread quickly. While hundreds of kids are staying home voluntarily, the superintendent says they don’t have the authority to tell vulnerable, unvaccinated kids to stay home unless the Florida Department of Health declares a state of emergency.

That hasn’t happened yet, but we’ll give you the same advice the school is giving to its students:

If you think you’ve been exposed to measles, you should not go to the ER. Instead, call your doctor.

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