Due to a measles outbreak in the southwestern United States, the U.S. CDC has issued a warning advising travelers to the area to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of infection. In an interview on Monday, Taipei Veterans General Hospital Physician Dr. Chang Chia-ming (張家銘) suggested that people planning to go to the Southwest go to medical institutions to test for measles antibodies. If no antibodies are detectable, he heavily recommends the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
A measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico has killed two people and infected more than 200 people. Several cases in Taiwan have also drawn attention, though Chang says that the measles vaccination rate in the country is high. He assures that the chances of a large-scale epidemic are low, but because measles has not been prevalent in Taiwan for a long time, the antibody count in many people may have reduced.
Chang adds that in addition to being highly contagious and causing fevers and rashes, measles can also cause immunological amnesia, deleting the body's past immune records against various viruses and bacteria such as chickenpox, pneumonia, and herpes, and increasing the risk of reinfection.
Dr. Chang points out that the potential impact of measles is much more far-reaching than imagined with measles-induced immunological amnesia requiring months or years to repair. He emphasizes that the most effective way to avoid measles is to get vaccinated. In addition, the public can also supplement vitamin A to support immune system health and reduce complications.