Measles Outbreak in Metro Manila...

[khriseeee]

4 to 6 years of age - 2nd dose of the MMR vaccine (may be given earlier according to the CDC website as long as 2nd dose is given at least 28 days after the 1st dose)

Doc Lelet, my daughter had her MMR at 17 months, she is now 21 months old. With your above statement, does it mean she can get her 2nd MMR shot already?

[DV]

I'm so worried now. My mom called me this am that my cousin is positive with measles. With all the reunions over the holiday I'm getting paranoid tuloy. Kept thinking if he carried ba any of my kids

Ang tagal pa naman ng incubation period (7-21 days according to the CDC website), so ang haba din ng worry.

My daughter has had 2 MMR shots. According to an article I've read, that's 95% protection. For added protection, I'm now more strict about hand washing and taking a bath after school. I also give her BFAD-approved VCO (it boosts the immune system, and has antiviral properties) in the morning, and Vitamin A-rich food.

[joevicko]

I also give her BFAD-approved VCO (it boosts the immune system, and has antiviral properties) in the morning, and Vitamin A-rich food.

^sis continuous yang VCO or habang my outbreak lang ng measles?
saka ask ko lang din sana Doc lelet, possible po ba mapuruhan ang baga or mag ka pneumonia kahit complete na ng PCV pero wala pang anti measles vaccine? TIA

[DV]

^Before the outbreak, I gave her one capsule once a week lang; now I give her 1 each morning (I give it in the morning kasi energy booster din ito, so not so ideal ibigay kung late in the day pag sleep time na) for protection against the virus. Sa website ng VCO brand that we use, nakalagay pwede sa children 5 and up. Ask your pedia about it na rin before giving to your child. Ang alam ko ibinibigay rin ito sa preterm babies, so it should be safe; not sure lang kung ano ang dosage.

[leletmd]

@DV:
No carrier status for those with lifelong immunity.
Only those newly infected can spread the virus to other people. Infected patients are contagious 4 days prior to appearance of the rash (often before they even know they are infected) to 4 days after the rash appeared. Measles is very contagious. The virus stays alive in infected surfaces for about 2 hours so even if the infected patient has left the room, it is possible for the measles virus to stay in the room long after.
Sorry wala pang projection as to how long this outbreak will last.

@joevicko:
Yes, pwede pa rin magkapneumonia despite getting the PCV. Why? Because pneumonia has hundreds of other causes (viral, bacterial and even chemical like strong vapors, etc). PCV will only protect against pneumonia caused by the Pneumococcal bacteria. Nevertheless, it is still important for babies to get the PCV.

@khriseeee:
Yes, technically, your baby can get her 2nd dose of the MMR vaccine. Please ask your pedia if she is amenable to giving the MMR vaccine earlier than the 4 to 6 year old recommended schedule.

Sabi ng DOH ang measles outbreak na nangyayaring ito sa metro manila ay posibleng dahil sa mga taong lumikas galing samar na biktima ng yolanda pati yung galing zamboanga at mga ifugao na dumadayo tuwing pasko. Mahina daw kasi ang vaccine drive sa visayas at mindanao.

Actually, even before Yolanda, there were already measles cases. Sabi nga sa news kanina, there was even an outbreak at Laguna last April kaya marami ring cases sa Las Pinas and south area.

In my opinion, local health centers should tell parents that they should go to their pedias for continuation of the vaccination series. Most parents kasi who have their kids vaccinated at the LHC think that after the 9th month measles vaccine, tapos na ang immunization series and that only 1 dose of the measles vaccine is needed.

Please have your kids vaccinated. Also, if they are exhibiting symptoms such as fever, cough, colds, red eyes, etc. please do not let them go to school so that they will not spread the infection to other classmates.
Strict hand washing, bath after going home, plenty of fruits and vegetables pa rin...
Avoid going to malls and other crowded places also.

[DV]

^Thank you, Doc Lelet. Another question po pala: Is measles something that can be managed at home (like chickenpox) o kailangan talagang send to the hospital agad once you see rashes (both for child and adult cases)?


---
v Thank you very much for all the helpful information po, Doc Lelet!

[leletmd]

^ Most cases are manageable at home. Supportive lang ang care like giving paracetamol, making sure the patient is comfortable by keeping him/her cool and not bundled up (mainit sa body ang rashes), frequent baths (hindi bawal maligo kahit may measles), mild lotion for the itch and of course, increase water intake to prevent dehydration.
Pag may signs of complications like diarrhea or bad cough, dapat dalhin kaagad sa hospital/clinic.
Infants less than 12 months of age who develop measles should also be brought to the clinic since they are the ones more prone to complications.

[LeAnEn]

doc lelet: i'vw heard that after giving the 2 doses of measles vax (1st dose - 11mos old and 2nd dose - 2y/o thru nmr vax) pwede prin pa inject uli si baby ng mmr uli so parang 3rd dose. safe ba yun? also my now 2 yr 10mos baby had her last anti rabies shot last jan 11. she was given hrig last dec 10, 2013. safe ba bigyan sya mmr vaccine from LHC on jan 14, 2014 kahit 2days pa [textspeak!]....claim ng LHC pwede daw...

[joevicko]

Thanks doc Lelet.. my son is turning 8 months this month and is scheduled for anti-measles sa Jan 25. according to his pedia we need to wait to have at least 28 days to 1month after his last injection. Sana nga lang po is di magka sakit si baby or mahawa sa ibang tao.. thanks po uli sa inyo

[einjhel]

doc, meron po akong 2 1/2 months na baby, hindi pa siya pwede sa vaccine since 6 months pa ang sched ng vaccine ng measles, pero i had MMR shot last 2008, and i think i had measles as a child.

may immunity po kaya kahit papano si baby ko habang hindi pa siya pwede magpavaccine?
may immunity kaya si baby ko against measles? and makakatulong ba sa immune system niya if exclusively breastfed siya?

hope po masagot niyo tanong ko, wala kasi kaming yaya or katulong at kasama sa house kaya pag lalabas ako no choice talaga kundi kasama si baby, takot na takot rin ako pag marami tao sa paligid ko. hope po masagot niyo question ko

[annalyze462]

Doc, between measles vaccine and 1st MMR, can my baby get measles? Hindi pa sya 12 months eh.

[Kermy]

Even if Kids are vaccinated, it doesn't mean hindi na sila mahahawa ng measles.

Only difference is hindi ganun ka grabe ang magiging effect sa katawan ng measles virus if a child is vaccinated since nakagawa na ang immune system ng pang laban sa virus.


Quuestion sa mga Mommies... Dinadala nyo pa rin ba mga anak nyo sa malls or any other crowded places kahit vaccinated naman sila against measles? 

[leletmd]

@LeAnEn:
Three doses talaga ang required number of doses as per the recommendation of the Philippine Pediatric Society:
6 to 9 months of age: Measles vaccine
12 to 15 months of age: 1st dose of MMR (Measles, mumps and rubella)
4 to 6 years of age: 2nd dose of MMR vaccine

Human Rabies Ig interferes with the immune response of the measles and rubella vaccines so the  ACIP states that MMR should not be administered within 4 months from rabies Ig administration.

@joevicko
I suggest you don't bring your child to crowded places while awaiting vaccination to measles.

@einjhel:
Yes, your baby has immunity to measles via the maternal antibodies. Breastfeeding also helps strengthen her immune system and may give her added protection. Still, better to limit exposure to crowded places if you can or time your errands/activities during non rush hour times..

@annalyze462:
Yes, there is still a risk of infection. What kermy said is correct. You can still get measles even if you received all the required doses. Infected persons who were previously vaccinated, however, tend to get milder symptoms and there is lesser chance of complications compared to unvaccinated patients so better pa rin to get vaccinated.

[Tinzi88]

Hi! grabe talaga yung measles scare ngayon. I'm 15 weeks pregnant and when I got flu like symptoms...grabe check up kaagad sa ob ko. Better be paranoid and safe. I was in bed rest for three days...acute respiratory tract infection. I'm thinking of wearing a mask nga since I commute lang to and from work.

Haist! Health is Wealth talaga!

[prickyslime]

Hi guys. plano naming iluwas si baby sa March 16 pa-Manila. Kaso wala pa siyang vaccine for Measles. Kasi 1 month and 16 days palang siya by then at nabasa ko na 6-9 mons pala ang vaccine. Ayaw kasi ipaiwan ng mother-in-law ko dito (Davao).

Naguguluhan ako kung isasama ko ba siya o hindi.

[joevicko]

hi Sis prickyslime: hope maconfirm to ni doc lelet kung mali or tama pero alam ko is walang nahahawa or less ang chance na magka tigdas si baby below 6mos.

saka parang wala ng outbreak :-) pero ingat ingat pa din, Pray!

[KagamiChan]

Hi everyone, I STRONGLY advise all the mommies and women of child bearing age to get their MMR also. Not only babies. Because Rubella (German measles) cause multiple defects in a fetus. Preggy moms could not get the vaccine. Only those who are not preggy at the moment.

I am a mother of a Congenital Rubella baby. when I heard about the outbreak, I was really sad and thought that there might be mothers out there who are infected with measles while pregnant. Honestly, I don't want any moms to go through what we have been through. MOST especially to the baby. It's really tough. The journey is lonely. Doctors only know a bit of CRS. They only heard about it by the book. And the baby has to go to different specialists.

Please, please, please... Even for the sake of those babies that are born with CRS (Congenital Rubella Syndrome), please mommies and ladies get your MMR vaccines now.

[leletmd]

@prickyslime and joevicko:
Maternal measles antibodies are passed on to the baby during pregnancy and stays on for about the 1st 6 months of life. This is true only for those Mommies who have had measles or were vaccinated with MMR a few months prior to their pregnancy.
If unsure as to whether or not nagkameasles na before ang Mommy or kung nabakunahan na ba ang Mommy, better pa rin na wag ibiyahe ang babies who have not been vaccinated because infants less than 1 year of age ang high risk sa pagdevelop ng measles complications.

[daveigh]

^ doc, question. ano difference ng Anti-Measles shot sa measles shot sa MMR?

[leletmd]

^ The Measles vaccine given at 6 to 9 months of age is meant to cover the period when the maternal measles antibodies are already waning or disappearing. However, there are times wherein yung natitirang maternal measles antibodies interfere with antibody production if the measles vaccine is given earlier than 12 months of age kaya kailangan pa rin to give the 2 doses of the MMR vaccine to boost antibody production.
In the US. they do not give measles vaccine at 9 months of age since their maternal measles antibodies do not disappear right away and stay on till 12 months of age. They do recommend giving the measles vaccine at 6 to 9 months of age to those traveling abroad. However, this dose is not counted as a regular dose for them. They still have to give the 1st dose of the MMR vaccine at 12 to 15 months of age and the 2nd dose at 4 to 6 years of age.