Measles Treatment at Walk-in Clinic & Urgent Care Center in South Philly, PA

California Measles Outbreak in 2015 Stirs Vaccination Debate

In 2015 the Pennsylvania Department of Health warned the public of a potential Pennsylvania measles outbreak after two cases of exposure had been reported. One was at a CVS Pharmacy and another at the Please Touch Museum at Fairmount Park at 4231 Avenue of the Republic, in Philadelphia. In late 2014 and early 2015 there was a measles outbreak in California where 42 people contracted the disease.

Pennsylvania Health officials eventually said that the two local alerts were false alarms since measles tests conducted on a likely-to-be-infected patient proved negative.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health released the public notification after one person was quarantined because doctors said it showed the same symptoms as a measles patient. These symptoms include fever, dry cough, skin rash with reddish blotches, tiny white spots inside the mouth and so on. Further blood test results however showed he tested negative for measles.

The Pennsylvania Health Secretary, said that the public warning was necessary because his department found that the above-mentioned patient had visited the Please Touch Museum and might have spread the infection among children present there.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that has a very short window of time after the exposure for the patient to get a measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. AFC Urgent Care South Philly offers the MMR vaccine. Our center also has the capability to perform a blood titer test to determine one’s immunity levels.

The California outbreak and scare here in Pennsylvania has increased concerns that a long-standing movement against childhood vaccinations has created a surge in a disease that was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. This anti-vaccination movement, championed largely by parents who believe discredited research linking vaccines to autism, or believe that the risks of some vaccines, including the measles inoculations, outweigh any potential benefit.

Measles is a serious viral infection that can spread by air through coughing or sneezing. Its symptoms start after one to three weeks from the exposure to the virus. Among other symptoms, patients usually experience rash, fever, respiratory problems and itchy or watery eyes.

Measles can be prevented by vaccination and standard hygiene practices such as hand washing and sneezing or coughing in a handkerchief.

If you would like more information about measles and the MMR vaccine, visit the CDC’s website.

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