For the average American adult, the measles is viewed as a condition of the past. The widespread vaccination of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine was said to have eradicated the virus around two decades ago in the year 2000. Last week, however, marked the second-largest U.S. measles outbreak in twenty years, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There have been 139 confirmed cases in Rockland, New York, 329 cases in Brooklyn and Queens, and several other cases have been reported in Washington, California, New Jersey, and Michigan.
With click bait article headlines circulating the web, people are left wondering how dangerous the measles is. Who is at high risk? Can you still contract the measles if you received the vaccination as a child? Some people, who recently contracted the virus, were vaccinated as children, but improper vaccinations can make you susceptible to the virus because of how contagious it is.
What Is The Measles?
Caused by the rubeola virus, the measles is an infectious disease that can spread like wildfire. Someone with the measles can cough, sneeze, or talk, and infected saliva drops become airborne and land on surfaces, where they remain active for hours. Roughly 90% of unvaccinated people who come in contact with the virus will become infected. Because the bacteria remain active for hours, it can be difficult to understand where and when you came in contact with the virus. After becoming infected, a number of health complications can occur.
Symptoms
Symptoms of the measles may not appear for about one to two weeks after coming in contact with the virus. In the time before one develops symptoms, that person can spread the virus to other people. The initial symptoms of an infected person are most commonly water eyes, coughing, high fever, and runny nose. Tiny white spots eventually appear in the mouth before the measles rash breaks out. The measles look like tiny red spots that can turn into raised bumps.
How Do You Know You’re Protected?
It can be hard to discern whether or not you are protected because people who were vaccinated may still be at risk, especially if they have weakened immune systems. The CDC says that people who were vaccinated twice are about 97% effective at preventing measles. Those who received one dose are about 93% effective. In order to help protect yourself from contracting the measles, follow the tips below.
Vitamin C Supplementation
According to research, vitamin C has been shown to protect against the measles virus, when taken in doses as high as 1,000 milligrams every six hours. That same study found that administering 1,000 milligram doses every two hours during the beginning stages of a fever and first signs of Koplik’s spots helped to rid the person of measles symptoms. While there are many natural sources of vitamin C, you may want to opt for a natural vitamin C product to ensure you are satisfying the necessary intake.
Get Your Vitamin D
People who are deficient in vitamin D are more susceptible to developing the measles because their immune systems are often too weak to fight the measles virus. Vitamin D helps to strengthen the immune system, enhancing your ability to naturally fight viruses. Make sure to get about 30 minutes of sun exposure a day and eat mushrooms, one of the best food sources of vitamin D. You can also accompany your vitamin D intake with vitamin A consumption because vitamin A helps protect uninfected cells by stopping the viruses from rapid multiplication.
In a nutshell, we advise you to naturally boost your immune system to the best of your ability. People with high-functioning immune systems are less likely to become infected. If you do become infected, however, your immune strength may help them avoid complications.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
