Ask Dr. Mike: Should I Be Concerned About Measles for My Child?

Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:

Should I be concerned about measles for my child?

Measles (also called Rubeola) is a very serious and often fatal disease that is highly contagious (airborne) that can occur in childhood. Symptoms of measles often include red spots on the skin, high fever, spots on your mouth and tongue, muscle pain, loss of appetite, watery eyes, and runny nose. These symptoms will develop between seven to 14 days after exposure.

You might have been hearing and reading about the huge outbreak of measles that happened in January at Disneyland in California. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from January 1 to January 30, 14 states were reported to have a measles outbreak, and a total of 102 cases.

Dr. Mike believes that depending on the circumstances, you should be concerned. For example, if your child is in the same vicinity as someone who has measles and your child is NOT vaccinated, then yes, you should be very concerned.

However, there's a growing movement between parents who are not vaccinating their children (and don't want to). In Dr. Mike's opinion, you should be vaccinating your child.

According to the World Health Organization, between the years 2000-2013, measles vaccination prevented an estimated 15.6 million deaths. Global measles deaths have decreased by 75 percent from an estimated 544,200 in 2000 to 145,000 in 2013.

If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.