Measles, a highly contagious disease, was declared eliminated in the US in 2000. However, now more than a hundred faculty, students, and staff at two LA universities have been isolated because they may have been exposed to measles. California State University, Los Angeles requires that exposed people stay at home, avoid contact with others, and notify a doctor if they develop any measles symptoms.
A Placentia woman, who attended the weekend screening of “Avengers: End Game” is the first confirmed measles case in Orange County in 2019. Now, she is under voluntary isolation at her home. In order to avoid cases like this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends measles shots for every person over a year old, except for people who had measles in their childhood.
Measles is a viral infection that can spread through the air and is caused by the rubeola virus. Pregnant women, patients with a weak immune system, people with vitamin A deficiency, AIDS, HIV, or leukemia, adults above 20 years old, and young children are at a higher risk for developing measles.
Symptoms appear within 10 days of initial infection with the virus, which may include:
Visit our urgent care center near you if you experience any of these symptoms.
The measles virus lives in the throat or mucus of the nose of an infected person. The virus can live for up to two hours on an object. The infection spreads in the following ways:
The measles rash spreads over about 3 days, and it lasts for 5 to 6 days. Generally, the rash occurs after 14 days of initial exposure to the virus.
Measles can be divided into four stages, which include:
Many people get better after 7 to 10 days, but at times, it can lead to serious complications.
One in every 15 infected children will develop common measles complications including:
Less common measles complications include:
Rare measles complications include:
Pregnancy measles complications include:
If you or your child has measles, visit your doctor and let them know about the signs and complications.
Dos of Measles
Don’ts of Measles
Measles booster vaccinations can prevent measles infection. People who have had measles already are immune, so they do not need to get the MMR vaccination. People who are not immune should consider measles vaccination.
You can protect your baby from measles in the following ways:
The measles vaccine is safe. However, it does have some short-term side effects. People may experience fever, redness, mild rash, sore arms, or temporary pain and stiffness in the joints after vaccination. The CDC and the FDA regularly monitor the safety of these vaccines.
Pregnant women and people with a serious allergy to antibiotics, gelatin, or neomycin should not take the vaccination.
Adults including health care workers, college students, anyone about to travel overseas, and anyone living in a community or neighborhood with measles outbreaks and adults who are not immune should consider getting measles shots.
The chances of getting measles after being vaccinated are very small. Only about 3 percent of people who receive two doses of the measles booster vaccination will get measles if they are exposed to someone who is infected by the virus.
There is a very little (only about three percent) chance that a fully vaccinated person will get measles if exposed to the virus, and spread it to others. According to the CDC, fully vaccinated people are also likely to get only mildly affected even if exposed to the virus. They are also less likely to spread it to others, including those who aren"t vaccinated.
Women who are thinking about becoming pregnant and are not immune should get measles shots at least one month before getting pregnant. It is best to consult your doctor before getting the measles vaccinations.
Measles vaccinations are effective at protecting you from the disease. However, people who want to be more fully protected from the disease should consider getting two doses of vaccination. People who receive only one dose of the measles vaccination may have a risk to develop measles as the first dose is 93% effective. The second dose of the vaccination increases your protection to 97%.
Visit your doctor as soon as you suspect that you or your child has measles or if you are exposed to someone who has measles, even if you are not sure or you do not have any symptoms yet. Taking the right precautionary measures will help you stay safe and be protected from measles.
Dr. Bunten is originally from Huntington Beach, CA. He attended high school in Tokyo, Japan, went to college at UC San Diego and then to medical school in the Midwest. He returned home to California for residency training in Family Medicine at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. His immediate family all reside in Huntington Beach.
Dr Fishbein has been in the practice of family medicine for over 35 years in Irvine. He received his undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois University, medical degree from Chicago Medical School, and completed his family medicine residency at Memorial Hospital of Long Beach.
Dr. Kim is the Medical Director of Family Care Centers, Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Hoag Hospital, and a recipient of the Physicians of Excellence award from the Orange County Medical Association. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine, and has been practicing in our community for over 20 years.
Dr. Memon is a board certified Family Medicine physician and recently completed her fellowship in Geriatrics at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. She attended Saint George’s University, School of Medicine and completed her residency at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. Her interest in medicine started at an early age and has since evolved into a passionate career.
Dr. Gina Nguyen obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at UC Irvine where she graduated Suma Cum Laude. She went to USC Keck School of Medicine, and returned to UC Irvine for a Family Medicine Residency. Since 2005, she worked at Kaiser Permanente, VNCOC, and Family Care Center Urgent Care.
Dr. Williams is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine. He is a native to Orange County and returned home after completing his medical degree at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. After completing his residency in family practice he successfully completed a fellowship in sports medicine.
Dr. Hye Lee is a board-certified Family Practice Physician, affiliated with the American Osteopathic Association and the American College of Osteopathic Family Practice.She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at UC Riverside and earned her medical degree from Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center. Afterward, she did her internship at Downey Regional Medical Center in California and has been a primary care physician since 2005.
Dr. Coyne is a board certified family practice physician and a California native. He completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA before earning his medical degree at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Dr Coyne spent 6 years in the US Air Force at Andrews and Luke Air Force bases, eventually separating as a Major. He enjoys working with patients of all ages.”
Dr. Jay Friehling is a Family Practice physician who has worked in Orange County since 1981. Born in Florida, he received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and then earned a Medical Degree at the New York Medical College.” His healthcare interests include Diabetes, Geriatric Care, and Hospice Care.
Dr. Jennifer Shoquist is board certified in Family Medicine. Her special interest is woman’s health and her practice accepts patients from 6 years old to seniors. Dr. Shoquist received her M.D. degree at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston in Houston, Texas, and did her residency with Memorial Family Practice at memorial Southwest Hospital in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Tom is a board certified family medicine physician and native Californian. He received his bachelors of science with great distinction in biochemistry and honors in chemistry. Dr. Tom was awarded a Regents Scholarship to attend medical school at UC Irvine.
Dr. Yan attended Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her Family Practice residency at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, California. She joined Family Care Center in 2001. She chose Family Practice because she enjoys working with a wide variety of people and because it provides a unique opportunity for continuing care.
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