Measles was said to have been eliminated from the United States in 2000. Continuous transmission of the contagious disease was halted, thanks to widespread vaccination, and for decades measles was not a problem within our borders. Many of today’s doctors -- vaccinated as children -- have never cared for a patient sick with measles.
Now an outbreak that began at Disneyland has infected people in multiple states and underscored the importance of vaccinations in preventing the disease.
“Measles is not a disease that should be taken lightly,” says Dr. Jana Shaw, an associate professor of pediatrics at the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. From one to three people out of 1,000 who are infected with measles will die from the disease, she explains, and thousands of children die from measles worldwide each year.
Also on this week's show: research into the treatment of nosebleeds, removing the stigma of mental illness, and suggestions for healthy snacking.