Researcher Dr. Richard Wallace Discusses Recent Rise in Measles

April 30, 2019

Measles continue to grow across United States; no confirmed cases in East Texas.

TYLER, Texas – The number of measles cases in 2019 are the highest we’ve seen in 25 years, with the CDC reporting Monday that 704 people have contracted the highly contagious virus.

“I’m old enough to remember being sent home and signs being put on my house, ‘Contagious, Do Not Enter’,” said Dr Richard Wallace, with UT Health. “So it’s a reminder that even a few cases can make us nervous if it’s in a population that’s at risk for measles.”

Dr. Wallace says those who live in tight-knit communities are at a higher risk.

“Like in Pennsylvania, New York are at greatest risk because of the ease of transmissibility of the virus,” said Dr. Wallace. “The risk here, most of the people are vaccinated, not all, but as long as we have travel back and forth to other parts of the world, it’s always a risk.”

Despite the growing numbers across the United States, some areas, like Texas, have mostly been spared. With only 15 confirmed cases in the entire state.

“The reason there’s only 700 cases as opposed to 70,000 or 700,000 cases is because of the vaccines that we have,” said Dr. Frank Esper at the Cleveland Clinic.

500 of the cases were unvaccinated and at least 44 were imported from unvaccinated countries during international travel.

“And it causes the most amount of trouble when one of those people comes in contact with a group who generally is very low vaccinated or doesn’t believe in the vaccine,” said Dr. Wallace.

He acknowledges that vaccines are not perfect, but says they are your best defense.

 

Story by Annalise Coble, KETK/FOX 51.

To view the original story, click here.

To view measles cases and outbreaks in 2019, click here.