As measles cases spike nationwide, Chatham County health officials are encouraging the community to stay up to date on vaccinations to stop the spread of local cases and other transmittable diseases.
The Chatham County Board of Health recently issued a statement stating how routine immunizations are “the most effective tool available to save lives and prevent serious illness.” Board Chair Stephanie Freese said how they are particularly important for the current spread of measles, as one person with the disease could infect up to 18 others around them — an “impressive” number for a transmissible infection.
“In the absence of vaccination, most people are susceptible to becoming infected with measles,” she told 97.9 The Hill. “When you have vaccines, certain people — even if they are exposed — are not going to get it. And that’s the vast majority of them. The vaccination is 97% effective.
“So 97% of people who are vaccinated for measles will not get it, even if somebody with measles is right in front of them,” Freese said.
Chatham County Board of Health Chair Stephanie Freese and Vice-Chair Zachary Brian speak with 97.9 The Hill Friday.
According to the board, decades of scientific research, rigorous testing, and ongoing monitoring show vaccines to be safe and effective. But Freese said one reason people avoid getting them include general “white coat syndrome” and feeling anxious medical settings. Because vaccines are meant to stimulate the immune system, she added how the shots can also cause immediate and temporary side effects like soreness or feeling poorly afterward. But Freese added that temporary discomfort is “nothing” in the face of an actual disease.
In the United States, the board chair said one in five people with measles are hospitalized, and according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, more than 60% of those who contract it are unvaccinated. But noting the rise in cases nationwide, Freese said people are losing trust in vaccines. She explained how the messaging around them can be confusing, with others fearful of experiencing long-lasting effects.
“And those have been disproven time and time again,” Freese said. “The vaccines are not going to cause lasting damage to your brain, they’re not going to change how you behave in society. They are going to protect you from very serious diseases and protect your loved ones and the community.”
Freese said it is especially important to keep up with routine vaccinations because not everyone can get them. And while transmissible diseases spread more aggressively in cities than rural areas, she said the number of people within a community susceptible to infection also plays a large role in whether it does.
“By protecting yourself and your loved ones, you are also protecting people who are immunocompromised, infants who can’t be vaccinated, pregnant women who can’t be vaccinated,” Freese said. “And that is really the goal between herd-health immunity is just to make sure within a population, there are enough people who are vaccinated to prevent the disease [spreading] from people who could be vaccinated to the ones who cannot.”
Another important action for community members to take includes getting both doses of the measles vaccine, with Vice-Chair Zachary Brian stating how the first dose is only 93% effective compared to the second’s 97%. Those curious about their vaccination status can call their local health department.
“Vaccinations really are the most effective protections for populations,” Brian said. “One thing that’s really important, especially for highly contagious viruses like measles, is that by protecting yourself, you are actually protecting your neighbor. That goes back to the herd immunity concept. [The board] finds it highly effective to vaccinate our populations to protect against diseases.”
A full range of vaccinations, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), is available at the Public Health Department’s clinic in Siler City and other locations throughout Chatham County. Programs like Vaccines for Children are still in place to keep vaccines affordable and accessible to the Chatham community, according to the board’s statement.
To see the full list of vaccines required to attend childcare and school in North Carolina, click here.
Featured image via AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, Pool.
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