There are almost a thousand cases of measles in Mexico and the risk of contagion is high, but are we really in danger and what should we do to avoid it? This is what they have to know.
A few days ago there was talk about the importation of measles. A child who came on a flight from Europe brought symptoms and infected a Mexican adult and a six-month-old baby. After that, the contagion broke out. We will explain everything about measles and where to get vaccinated.
What’s up with measles?
Carlos Aboitiz, pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist, explained to us that “Measles is a virus that is passed from person to person and is also super contagious, since if you have contact with someone who is infected you have a 90% chance of contracting it.”.
For this reason, the import and export of the virus is so easy, because the 4 days before the spots appear on the skin, it can already be transmitted through the mouth, nose and mucous membranes.
Something important to highlight is that “The virus can live up to two hours on inert surfaces, that is, if the patient coughs and touches a surface they can infect someone else in a matter of minutes.”.
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How do I know if I have measles?
He also explained to us that “If you feel like you have a cold, as if you had a flu, but if you open your mouth you see spots in your throat (which is the famous enanthem of Koplik) they may be infected».
Although the most common are red spots that are one on top of another on the skin, red eyes and yellowish discharge from the eyes.
What are the risks of measles in adults?
Aboitiz also told us that many of today’s adults have probably already suffered from measles, Since in Mexico, there was an epidemic in the early 90s, but it doesn’t hurt to get vaccinated.
The risks that adults and children have from measles are the same, “this infection attacks different parts of the body, from lung disease, through fever, the distinctive red spots that we see all over the skin, to the most serious encephalitis and pneumonia.” So the best way to prevent infection in both children and adults is vaccination.
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Where can we get vaccinated?
One of the pieces of advice that Dr. Aboitiz gives is that “Vaccination is important and regardless of how old they are, what is recommended is that they get two vaccines, since there is a risk that the first one will not be powerful enough.”.
Something that he also mentioned to us is that vaccines of this type are not for everyone, “immunocompromised people and children cannot be candidates for vaccinesThat is, if they are undergoing cancer treatment they will not be able to get vaccinated. The bad thing is that they run the risk of becoming infected if a child without these immune characteristics has not been vaccinated.”.
So if you believe that a child can catch anything to create antibodies, They are putting the life of that child at risk and that of hundreds more who may have a serious illness.
The good news is that you, your children and some older adults can get vaccinated, plus Current vaccines are triple viral, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. If they need the vaccines, they can go to their nearest health center and request information so they can receive them.
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Specialist: Carlos Aboitiz, pediatrician and cardiopediatrician. He has more than 25 years of experience in various prestigious institutions such as the Ángeles del Pedregal Hospital. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Sociedad Mexicana de Pediatría, Academia Mexicana de Pediatría and the American Society of Echicardiography.
2024-04-10 23:30:12
#Measles #risk #decision #hands
