Measles has reached 4,852 confirmed U.S. cases this year, with 511 hospitalizations, according to the CDC’s October 30 update, covering reports through October 29. Ninety-six percent of cases involve people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. We have a vaccine against this disease, yet families are once again being asked to recognize it. Apparently, keeping children alive now comes with a homework assignment.
The part that gets lost in arguments about personal choice is that some people can’t make that choice yet. A baby waiting to become old enough for routine vaccination depends partly on the protection surrounding them. When that protection weakens, the consequences arrive at someone else’s crib. Especially on a day like today, when families are walking the streets and little kids are dipping their hands in candy buckets.
On that note, Happy Halloween, everyone! I’m sorry I missed you yesterday; time got away from me. Friday morning was my daughter’s Halloween party, and Ezra and I arrived in costume to her absolute delight. Spirit week ended with happy kids and a mother who woke up on time, did everything correctly, and was promptly defeated by a hat. That cost us half an hour. We arrived late, but we made it, which I expect will eventually be engraved on my tombstone.
We also had some very special guests yesterday, which was wonderful, and very little sleep, which was familiar. I had been carving a staff for a child who believes every wizard should have one, and apparently the wizarding community does not tolerate a lengthy production schedule. My husband supported the undertaking, because I am a lucky woman.
Tonight we’ll head out to trick-or-treat with the whole Wizard of Oz gang together in one place. My husband and I are tired again; for reasons unknown, sleep continues to elude us. But here we go, tackling it together for them and for the smiles. If anyone finds a nap along the yellow brick road, please send it our way.
These are the things we are trying to protect: spirit week, Halloween, and the chance to be a child. Childhood should have room for a homemade wizard’s staff without a preventable disease waiting in the wings.
Measles usually begins 7–14 days after infection with high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth. The rash generally follows 3–5 days after symptoms begin: flat red spots start at the hairline and spread down the face and body, sometimes merging. Fever can climb above 104°F.
People can spread measles four days before through four days after the rash appears, and the virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. The person who exposed you may already be home arguing online while you’re still breathing the consequences.
The routine U.S. schedule gives the first MMR vaccine at 12–15 months and the second at 4–6 years. One dose is about 93% effective against measles; two are about 97% effective. A child following the schedule can therefore have substantial protection without yet having both doses. Babies under one are generally too young for routine vaccination.
There are exceptions worth knowing: infants 6–11 months should receive an early MMR dose before international travel, and public health officials may recommend it during an outbreak. A dose before the first birthday does not replace the two later doses. Outbreak guidance may also call for an earlier second dose. Ask your pediatrician or health department about your child’s circumstances.
Anyone without immunity can get measles. Children under five, adults over twenty, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems face greater risks of complications, including pneumonia and brain inflammation. MMR is a live vaccine and is generally not given during pregnancy or severe immune suppression. Adults unsure of their protection should have a clinician review their records and risk; being grown is not evidence of immunity.
If you suspect exposure or measles, call your healthcare provider immediately and before arriving in person. Do not wait for a rash. For eligible susceptible people, MMR within 72 hours of exposure or immune globulin within six days may help. Trouble breathing, confusion, or severe dehydration needs emergency care; alert the facility to possible measles so it can protect others.
Preventing illness and making care accessible belong to the same promise. We want children to have more days dressing up, making things, and discovering how delighted they are to be alive. Vaccination helps protect those ordinary, extraordinary days, including for the babies still waiting for their own turn.
If this report gave you something useful, please restack or share it. Helping someone recognize the symptoms or understand who still needs protection is a good reason to pass it along.
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Thank for all the research you did to write this post. I’ll be restocking it. Also, I love your epitaph & plan on adopting it: “We arrived late, but we made it.”
Thank you for this useful information.