Measles is here in South Dakota. Amid a nationwide outbreak, health professionals want to spread the word — measles shots are safe and effective.
The outbreak officially reached South Dakota after Department of Health officials said it was discovered in a Meade County man who had traveled abroad,
Dr. Paula Marsland is a pediatrician with Monument Health in West River. She said most cases of the virus are among young people.
“Of the approximately 1,100 cases in the country that we know of right now, about two-thirds of those are kids 19 and under," Marsland said. "Of those hospitalized, I think the latest number from the CDC last Friday was 133, I want to say it was somewhere around 104 of those were kids. That breaks my heart. I know we can protect them better and we can do a better job of talking about these things.”
Marsland said the hard scientific data proves how serious of a threat measles can be.
“Measles is three times more contagious than flu, than COVID, than Ebola," Marsland said. "Its airborne, the droplets stay in the air, and a very small amount of droplets are all that’s required to cause an infection.”
For example, Marsland said lingering airborne illness has the strength to infect nine out of 10 vulnerable people in an environment like an elevator or waiting room.
She said this highlights the importance of MMR vaccines.
“The measles vaccine is safe," Marsland said. "Our current vaccine, the MMR, has been around since 1971 — that’s over 50 years of solid data proving its efficacy and safety. In countries where there are low vaccination rates, we see those cases. We see those kids that get very sick. Measles is miserable.”
The MMR shot is available for children and adults barring pregnancy or allergy. Marsland said it greatly minimizes the risks associated with the sometimes-fatal disease.