After they’ve confirmed one case of the measles, health officials in Solano County warn they expect more cases throughout the year.
Several doctors in that county told FOX40 they’ve been getting numerous phone calls from concerned parents, and that they see too many kids who have not already been vaccinated.
“It’s one of the worst things you ever want to witness,” said Dr. Bruce Hewett, a pediatrician with NorthBay Healthcare in Vacaville.
Hewett has been practicing medicine for more than 30 years and has seen first hand the effects of the measles while practicing in South Carolina during an outbreak in 1989, when 50 thousand cases were reported nationwide.
“The fluid just pours out of their eyes, just pours out of their nose and there’s absolutely nothing you can do to make them feel comfortable,” Hewett told FOX40.
A decade later Dr. Hewett saw his second outbreak while practicing in Anchorage, Alaska. But he said the number of infected that time was much lower.
“We contained it to 35 cases and it was all through a massive immunization effort,” Hewett said.
It’s those vaccinations which Solano County Public Health Officer Dr. Michael Stacey said could have helped a toddler who tested positive for measles late last week.
Stacey said the county lab is now testing throat swabs from everyone who has had contact with that child.
“A micro-biologist here will look to see if in that throat swab there is the RNA of the measles virus,” Stacey said.
Using computers, technicians are examining small amounts of the virus’ genes at levels which are non-threatening, about 20 genes of the more than 600 which make up the virus.
Both doctors Hewett and Stacey said too many parents have not had their kids vaccinated due in large part because of what they call myths parents read on the internet.
“The study that linked Autism to vaccinations has clearly been debunked,” Stacey said.
“(The Autism vaccination link study) or that it’s this conspiracy by the drug companies to get extra money or something you know, those have been discredited,” Hewett told FOX40.
Hewett said this week his office has been flooded with phone calls from those very same parents who have changed their minds. He said there’s still time for the vaccinations to build up adequate immunity.
“If you get immunized now, your immunity builds relatively quickly and it can offer protection. It’s not too late,” Hewett said.