AZ Health Officials Warning About Growing Measles Outbreak

When Jonas Salk introduced the first effective polio vaccine in 1955, it marked the beginning of a dramatic drop in childhood illnesses and deaths that many of us have witnessed in our lifetimes.

This positive trend continued for almost sixty years, but in recent years, things have started to change.

Biology Insights reports that some parents are now hesitant to vaccinate their children because they worry about vaccine safety and believe these diseases are not very serious. Misinformation and growing distrust of organizations like the CDC and other government agencies are also making the problem worse, creating a risk to public safety.

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Is Measles Spreading in Arizona?

Arizona has seen a noticeable increase in measles cases this year. State health officials have confirmed 261 cases in Mohave County since late last summer. Most of these cases are in Colorado City, where vaccination rates have always been low.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Maricopa County has reported four cases so far this year, Pinal County has three, and Pima County has at least one.

READ MORE: Dangerous Rise in Confirmed Measles Cases in Arizona

How Many Arizonans Have Been Hospitalized or Died?

Fortunately, even though measles spreads easily, there have been few hospitalizations and no deaths reported in Arizona during this outbreak.

The most severe measles cases have happened in unvaccinated children, which matches national trends from the CDC. The Centers for Disease Control says there have been 1,362 confirmed cases in the U.S. so far this year, already more than half of last year’s total.

Breaking Down Arizona’s Childhood Vaccination Guidelines

The Maricopa Area Health Authorities are taking action in response to the increase in measles cases. They have updated their childhood vaccination guidelines to stress the importance of checking MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccination earlier.

MAHA is urging better follow-up for families whose children are behind on vaccines and is working to give schools clearer information during illness exposures and outbreaks.

These updates follow CDC recommendations as state agencies try to close immunity gaps, especially in Arizona communities where vaccination rates are dropping.

READ: 'Too Risky!' Reason AZ Could See A Dangerous Measles Outbreak

Why Are Some Parents Still Hesitant?

Local health officials say that hesitancy usually comes from misinformation, worries about vaccine side effects, and a lack of trust in government health agencies.

For decades, information programs have focused on sharing vaccine safety data from the CDC and ADHS. Both organizations continue to say that the MMR vaccine is safe, effective, and the best way to protect against measles.