Worried parents concerned for children's health as CDC warns measles is a growing global threat
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There haven't been any new cases of measles in Philadelphia for 14 days now, but the outbreak isn't officially over yet. Nationally, the CDC is warning doctors to be on the alert for measles as a growing global threat.
Children can't be vaccinated against measles until they're one. Until then, those babies are at risk. That's what happened with some of the children infected in the current outbreak, along with kids who aren't vaccinated.
At 11 months, Eva is too young for the measles vaccine. With nine confirmed cases in the Philadelphia region, she's potentially at risk in public locations.
"I think a lot of parents are concerned and worried about their children's safety," Dr. Angela Skrzynski said.
Eva's mom and a doctor at Virtua Health, Skrzynski said all her children get the recommended vaccinations, and guarding against measles is especially important.
"You can be spreading measles before you even have symptoms of it," she said.
That's how the Philadelphia outbreak started, according to the health department.
A baby too young to be vaccinated traveled internationally and was admitted to CHOP with what first appeared to be a respiratory infection. By the time the measles rash appeared, the virus had spread to children in nearby rooms.
"This is a major event, and it tells us just how fragile that wall of immunity is," Philadelphia Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said.
At the height of the outbreak in early January, the health commissioner explained how measles cases spread further at a day care center that she said violated quarantine orders.
"This is a very serious, potentially life-threatening virus," Bettigole said.
The health department said 93% of Philadelphia children are vaccinated against measles, but vaccination rates are dropping. With 23 cases nationwide in two months, the CDC is warning doctors to be on alert.
"We are seeing more cases of unimmunized patients and persons spreading disease," Dr. Salwa Sulieman reports.
Sulieman, a doctor at Nemours Children's Hospital, said the Philadelphia outbreak spread into Delaware with an exposure an Nemours.
"Thankfully, the Philadelphia outbreak has not shown any new cases in some time," Sulieman said.
The Philadelphia Health Department said after 42 days with no new associated cases of measles, the current outbreak can be declared to be officially over.