State health officials and UW-Madison clinicians are urging the public to become properly vaccinated against measles after four cases of the disease were confirmed in the Milwaukee area last week.
A 37-year-old man and three children under two years old with no history of immunizations are the only known cases of measles in the state, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services.
Measles is one of the scariest, most contagious diseases known to man,"" James Conway, UW-Madison associate professor of pediatrics said.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of measles include fever, rash and pinkeye, and, in severe cases, pneumonia, brain damage and death.
Because measles can be transferred through the air and those infected might shrug off the eight to 10 days of cold-like symptoms before realizing they have the disease, the number of cases could increase, Conway said.
While no vaccine is perfect, Conway said the measles vaccine is 99 percent effective.
Stephanie Marquis, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, said the Wisconsin health department is working with local health officials to try to contain the disease.
""Our recommendation at this time is for those who have not been vaccinated to do so,"" Marquis said.
MMR, the vaccine used to protect against measles, comes in a combination with the vaccines for mumps and rubella. To receive full protection from the vaccine, doctors recommend children receive one dose of the vaccine between 12 and 15 months and a second dose between the ages of four and six.
""The concept of a vaccine is to trick the immune system to think it's seen a disease before,"" Conway said, adding if a person gets measles and survives, the body builds immunity against the disease.
According to Conway, MMR gives the body a high enough dose of the disease it is able to fight off measles, mumps or rubella upon exposure to them in the environment.
Although doctors strongly recommend children receive the MMR vaccine, parents in Wisconsin can sign a waiver stating they refuse to allow their child to be vaccinated based upon religious beliefs, medical conditions or personal convictions.
According to University Health Services epidemiologist, Craig Roberts, the number of parents who do not vaccinate their children has grown in recent years, increasing the risk of an outbreak.
""People forget about measles because they think we've wiped it out,"" Roberts said. ""If I was one of those people who didn't receive a vaccine as a child '¦ I'd march over to UHS to get the vaccine.""
UHS offers the MMR vaccine for $42.
