NEW ORLEANS — Two very young children remain hospitalized at Children's Hospital, after getting measles when they were out of state.
The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed that they were not vaccinated against the virus. It's a virus that puts one-fifth of people infected in the hospital with severe complications. Doctors said there was a reason why Louisiana is seeing its first cases in six years.
Doctor after doctor we spoke with says measles should be taken seriously.
“It can be very serious, and fatal in people who aren't vaccinated,” said Dr. Jennifer Avegno, New Orleans City Health Director.
“Measles is a very serious disease. We talk about COVID being contagious, measles is much more contagious than COVID-19,” said pediatrician Dr. Corey Hébert, the Medical Correspondent for WWL-TV News.
“Children were dying of pneumonia when I was a child. I have one patient in my practice today who had measles in the 50s, and is almost deaf as a result of it. Measles is a terrible disease, and to think that we've got a vaccine, that in my opinion is essentially 100 percent protective, it's just tragic not to use it,” said infectious diseases physician Dr. Brobson Lutz, who is the spokesman for the Orleans Parish Medical Society.
And that is the main message from physicians. The two-dose childhood vaccine given at one, and four years of age, can prevent brain damage, and even birth defects if a pregnant woman catches the virus. But vaccine rates are going down.
“What we've seen, unfortunately, because of all of the misinformation around vaccines with COVID, is that people who might have gotten their child those regular childhood vaccines, now are hesitant to do that,” said Dr. Avegno.
In 2021, state health records show only 75 to 84% of 2-year-olds in Southeast Louisiana, have had their first dose of the measles vaccine.
“And it takes a 95 percent immunization rate to keep these little outbreaks of measles from developing,” explained Dr. Lutz.
“So, all these things are part of a disease that is easily preventable if we get vaccinated, because once you get this disease, all we can do is give you supportive care, because there really is no cure for the measles,” added Dr. Hébert.
And if you've been vaccinated, the doctors say there's no concern.
“There is no greater danger to any one, or any setting in the New Orleans area, but I have to hand it to the Louisiana Department of Health. Their contract tracers are phenomenal, and so are actively working to make sure that anyone that may have been exposed, is being notified,” said Dr. Avegno.
Adults who were vaccinated as children, do not need a booster.
There should be no, or only a very small cost, to get measles vaccines at any community, or school clinic, or any pediatrician's office.
There are also free vaccines from the shot bus.
The schedule of where the mobile vaccine unit will be is here.
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