WCHS: Vaccines remain important

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
A Wyoming Department of Health official, as well as local health care personnel, says that increased cases of measles in some areas of the United States show why vaccination is important. At the same time, extra vaccine doses or boosters for state residents are not currently needed. 
Angela Phillips, the prevention nurse for Weston County Health Services, said that vaccines were created because they “basically prevent the spread of contagious diseases that are deadly,” and that is why they remain important to this day. 
These vaccines protect those who cannot be vaccinated in what is called “herd immunity,” according to Kimberly Scharf, a registered nurse at the Regional Health Medical Clinic in Newcastle. 
Although there has not been a reported case of the measles in Wyoming since 2010, there have been more than 700 measles cases, the most since 1994, confirmed across the country this year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of these cases involved unvaccinated people. 
The CDC estimates that three to four million people
contracted the measles each year in the United States before the vaccination program began in 1963, according Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist for the Wyoming Department of Health. 
“What has happened is, over the years because people were immunized, these vaccine-preventable diseases obviously went away,” said Lori Bickford, Weston County public health nurse. “What happened over time is when people were no longer seeing these illnesses, they began to have the mindset that they don’t exist so we don’t need to vaccinate any longer. What the problem is, is that unless the disease is completely eradicated, they can come back.”
Bickford said that the only disease considered to be completely eradicated, worldwide, is smallpox and that one case of this disease anywhere in the world would be considered an epidemic. 
“So, those diseases, like measles, are still out there in pockets and all they are waiting for is an opportunity to infect someone who is not immunized,” Bickford said. “When you start getting large pockets of people who don’t vaccinate, it increases the risks of seeing outbreaks like we are currently.” 
Bickford said that it is much easier to prevent illnesses, such as the measles, than it is to treat people who have already contracted the disease. 
According to Bickford, Weston County is pretty well protected as far as immunization goes, but she said that there are pockets of unvaccinated individuals in the area. 
“We know there are pockets, but it is only approximate. There is no way of knowing the true pocket size,” Bickford said. “What we do know is those in schools absolutely know that there are required vaccinations, and the schools know who is and is not vaccinated. The rule is supposed to be that you have those required vaccinations within 30 days of the start of school or you are not able to go.”
Bickford said that the rules are in place to protect those who cannot be vaccinated, adding that she is aware of very few children that have actual medical exemptions from vaccinations. 
According to Scharf, some people are immune compromised, have age restrictions or religious reasons for being exempted from vaccinations. 
So when it comes to vaccinations, how long are we protected?
According to all three nurses, people born before 1957 are considered exposed and immune. 
“People born before 1957 lived through several years of epidemic measles before the first measles vaccine was licensed in 1963,” Bickford said. “As a result, these people are very likely to have had the measles disease. Surveys suggest that 95% to 98% of those born before 1957 are immune to measles. Persons born before 1957 can be presumed to be immune.” 
She said that adults who do not have any evidence of immunity, which would either be birth before 1957 or laboratory evidence showing immunity, should consider getting one dose of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. 
“People who are at increased risk, which includes college students, health care workers and international travelers, should consider two doses unless they have medical proof of immunity,” Bickford said. 
Scharf and Phillips explained that a titer test can be done on adults to measure the antibodies in the blood, a check for disease immunity. This test allows a clinician to determine whether a vaccination is required. 
“We are concerned about the growth of measles cases across the country, but believe no new or extra actions are needed in Wyoming at this point. We want people to follow the vaccination recommendations that are already in place,” Harrist said. “It is important to be up to date on vaccinations because anyone who is not protected against measles, including children too young to be vaccinated, could become infected with a serious disease.” 
Harrist said that measles are still common in many parts of the world, including some countries in Europe, Asia, the Pacific and Africa, while people in the United States still get the measles in rare situations. 
“Every year, unvaccinated people get measles during international travel, bring the disease into the United States and spread it to others who are unvaccinated,” Harrist said. “Ongoing spread of the disease is a risk in communities with pockets of unvaccinated people and can lead to outbreaks.” 
So what would local nurses tell those who are questioning vaccinated their children?
Scharf said that the consequences are “no fun” and that she is sure it is no fun to watch your child laying in a hospital bed and being poked.
“I wouldn’t want my son to go through that when there is a simple shot that can prevent the diseases,” she said. 
Phillips said that parents really need to outweigh the benefits to the risks associated with vaccinations. 
“The benefits way outweigh any of the risks,” Phillips said. “They truly do protect us and anyone around us.” 
According to Bickford, parents should receive information about every vaccination when their child receives vaccines and that they
should discuss the shots with their doctors if they have
any concerns. 
“It is much better for us to respond to something in a calm manner then to wait until we have a crisis and people go into a panic,” Bickford said. “This is absolutely nothing to panic about, but it is something to be concerned about. There are steps to be taken, and if you are unsure of your status or immunization records, then you should check with your medical providers to make sure you have those records.”