New measles portal to bring up-to-date health info to New Yorkers
Information on measles in New York state is now just a click away.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a new state portal Wednesday. It tracks cases and where to get a vaccine.
There are currently 350 measles cases nationwide, according to Hochul, including four statewide. Three of the New York state cases are in New York City, Hochul said.
“We do not have another pandemic on our hands but at this early stage, I thought it was important to sound the alarm to provide New Yorkers information and share our plan for stopping the spread of this disease any further,” Hochul said.
Measles cases rapidly dropped after a vaccine was introduced in the 1960s, Hochul said.
“The vaccination has been determined to have saved 60 million lives over the last 20 years alone,” Hochul said. “We cannot go backwards in this time of fear and disinformation. It’ll only wreak havoc on our state.”
New York’s vaccination rates for measles are still high, but not near the levels Health Commissioner James McDonald would like them to be.
“The number I want to see is over 95%. What I have in New York state right now is 81.4%,” said McDonald. “What we see that was in New York, people are getting their vaccine eventually. So by kindergarten, I need you to have two doses and then I get up to over 90% – still not over the 95% number I’m looking for.”
McDonald pointed out the measles vaccine has been around since 1963 and the measles, mumps, and rubella, or the MMR vaccine has been around since 1971.
“I’ve been a pediatrician for over 35 years. I still haven’t had a parent call me after the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine with a serious concern, and I’ve personally administered over tens of thousands of doses of vaccine,” McDonald said. “So I know what the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine does. It protects children from measles.”
The MMR vaccine is 97% effective McDonald pointed out, with enough available for everyone.
“We can achieve herd immunity,” he said. “We could actually eradicate measles across the globe. It’s not for want of technology. It’s just for want of people – not just in New York, not just the United States, but across the globe, availing themselves to the vaccine.”
People born before 1957 are likely immune to measles, McDonald said. However, you will need two doses if you were born after that.
“So we give them now one dose when you’re 12 to 15 months old, and the second dose when you’re going to kindergarten,” McDonald said.
However if you’re an adult, that doesn’t mean the clock has run out. McDonald suggested just asking your doctor for the second dose of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
He also reminded parents not to blindly take their child to the emergency room if they think their child might have measles. That’s because of how contagious the virus can be.
“If you go to the emergency department, you’re exposing everyone to your case of measles. Now, when you think of that waiting room in the emergency department, you don’t know who’s had the measles vaccine, and you also don’t know, more importantly, who’s got a compromised immune system,” he said. “You really don’t want to go to the emergency department unless it’s really an emergency, and even then, you want to call ahead and let them know you’re coming, because they usually have a way for you to enter there.”
Hochul said she’s concerned about what she said is misinformation coming from Washington, including a claim by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr that cod liver oil can protect you.
“That is wrong. Cod liver oil will not protect you from measles. It’s baseless, it’s irresponsible and puts lives at risk,” Hochul said.
“We cannot go backwards in this time of fear and disinformation. It’ll only wreak havoc on our state,” she added. “Let’s go forward together into an era where we actually respect the doctors, and the researchers and scientific advancement so no child ever has to suffer the effects of a 104-degree fever or the pain of a burning rash.”