Important Measles Announcement

There is currently an outbreak of measles in mostly unvaccinated people across multiple states, including at least one pediatric patient in Virginia. Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus for which there is no effective treatment . As we have seen in the recent Texas outbreak, this is a disease with a high risk of serious complications, hospitalization, or even death. The only defense against measles is vaccination.

If you suspect you have measles or have been exposed, please DO NOT enter any healthcare facility without first notifying staff so you can be safely triaged.

If you are unsure of your vaccine status please contact our office to schedule a visit for a vaccine booster or bloodwork to check antibody levels.

We attempt to be inclusive of our unvaccinated community members. However we see immunocompromised people, pregnant women and newborns in our office every day--populations at very high risk from measles complications. If you choose to remain (or have your children remain) unvaccinated there will likely come a time in the near future where we will only be able to see you outside of the building or virtually to allow for protection of these vulnerable populations.

People born before 1956 are presumed to have had the measles and be immune. People born from 1957 to 1967 may have had an ineffective vaccine and should come in to have blood work or receive a booster vaccine. If you were born between 1968 and 1989 you likely had one vaccine which is 93% effective. You could consider a booster if you are likely to come in contact with infected/unvaccinated people or are traveling internationally. If you are born after 1989 and were vaccinated as a child you most likely had two vaccines. This is 97% effective and you do not need a booster at this time.

We at WholeHealth believe that vaccines are the best defense against any disease. We will remain vigilant to and proactive against any disease spread in our community.

Find more measles information at HealthyChildren.org

More information:

• What to Know During a Measles Outbreak: FAQ, from UVA Health
• Vitamin A Can't Prevent the Measles, from UVA Health
• Measles: Separating fact from fiction, from Sentara Hospital

Also please review this PDF from The Unbiased Science Podcast for more detailed information about measles immunity (a special thank you to @unbiasedscipod for their generous share of their slides).