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Got Mumps, Measles, Chickenpox? You Don't Want Them; Get Vaccinated Health Experts Say
Buncombe County Health Department sent out a news release on Aug. 23 reminding parents and guardians to get their children vaccinated before school starts.
ASHEVILLE - The latest data released by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services revealed that the religious exemption rate for childhood vaccines in Buncombe County increased for kindergarten, seventh and 12th grade for the 2022-23 school year compared to 2021-22. Meaning more children will be starting school this year without state-mandated vaccines for infectious diseases.
The Buncombe County Health Department is reminding parents and guardians to get their children vaccinated before school starts. The Citizen Times compiled a list of the diseases for which the health department requires children be vaccinated.
Parents and guardians have 30 days from the first day of school to turn in their up-to-date immunization records for kindergarten, seventh grade, and 12th grade, and students new to North Carolina schools, according to a Buncombe County news release.
"Once these illnesses begin circulating within a community, it creates unnecessary risk for those who cannot vaccinate due to age or other medical conditions," Buncombe County Public Health Director Ellis Matheson told the Citizen Times earlier this month.
"Given our high rate of religious exemptions to immunizations, this is a concern for our community. We want to protect all ages from preventable illness, and being up to date on your immunizations is one of the simplest, most effective steps you can take to create a shield of protection for yourself, your family, and the community,"
More: Student vaccine exemptions across Asheville, Buncombe schools some of highest in NC
What are the diseases?DTaP: This is an infection caused by a bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and there are four kinds of vaccines used in the United States that help protect against it. This vaccine covers diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. The CDC website says diphtheria is now almost unheard of in the U.S., similarly with tetanus, with an average of 30 reported cases each year. Since the 1970s there has been an increase in reported whooping cough cases, according to the CDC.
Polio: According to the CDC, polio is a "disabling and potentially deadly disease." It is caused by the poliovirus and can be spread from person to person. It mainly infects a person's spinal cord and can cause paralysis. While there isn't a cure for polio, it can be prevented with the vaccine.
Measles: This very contagious contagious disease spreads through the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Measles can start with a fever, red eyes, runny nose and cough and is followed by a rash of tiny, red spots, according to the CDC. This disease can be prevented with the vaccine commonly known as the MMR ― which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. The CDC website says that two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles and one dose is about 93% effective.
Mumps: This disease falls under the MMR vaccine, and typically starts with fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite. The mumps component of the MMR vaccine is about 88% effective when a person gets two doses; one dose is about 78% effective (these percentages can range from the low 30s to high 90s), according to the CDC.
Rubella: Referred to as German measles by the CDC, this is also a virus. Most people who get rubella have mild symptoms at first starting with a low-grade fever, sore throat, and a rash that starts on the face and can spread to the rest of the body. The CDC says that rubella can cause a miscarriage or serious birth defects in an unborn baby if caught while one is pregnant. This falls under the MMR vaccination and according to the CDC one dose of the MMR vaccine is about 97% effective at preventing this disease.
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib): A type of bacteria that can cause many different kinds of infections ― ranging from ear infections to serious bloodstream infections. It can result in serious illness and can be deadly in babies and children younger than 5 years old, according to the CDC. It recommends that all children younger than 5 in the U.S. Get this vaccination. Some of the most common types of diseases the CDC listed that are caused by H. Influenzae are pneumonia, meningitis, and epiglotittis (swelling in the throat).
Pneumococcal: This is a bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus and can cause many types of infections, some of which can be life threatening. Some infections can occur in the lungs, blood, brain and spinal cord, sinus area and in the ears. The CDC says that vaccines are the best way to prevent pneumococcal disease. It can sometimes be treated by antibiotics, but some pneumococcal bacteria have become resistant to certain antibiotics — that's why the CDC recommends being vaccinated.
Meningococcal: According to the CDC about 1 in 10 people are carriers of this bacteria. Meningococcal "disease refers to any illness caused by bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. These illnesses are often severe, can be deadly, and include infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream.," the CDC website said. It's known to spread through spit or saliva and keeping up to date with the vaccines is the best protection against this disease.
Chickenpox: The blister-like rash that is almost impossible not to itch causes about four million cases a year and up to 150 deaths, according to the CDC. Two doses of the vaccine are about 90% effective at preventing it. Some people who are vaccinated may still get the disease, but it is said to be a milder version.
To learn more about these diseases and their symptoms, visit the Recommended Vaccines by Disease site at cdc.Gov/vaccines.
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Where to get vaccinated?Most vaccines are available at pediatrician and primary care doctors' offices, local pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, health centers, health departments, and travel clinics.
Children who are uninsured can still be vaccinated at a low or no cost. This is through the Vaccines for Children program, which offers free vaccines to eligible children up to 19 years old.
Parents and guardians can determine eligibility by calling 828-250-5096, according to a news release from the Buncombe County health department.
Asheville City Schools posted on its Facebook page, reminding parents and guardians that one of the most important items on the "school supply" list is getting their child vaccinated.
"Let your kids thrive this school year by getting the right supplies, a yummy breakfast, and the recommended vaccines to keep them healthy," the post said.
Most vaccines are available at doctor's offices, local pharmacies, health centers, health departments, and travel clinics.
With COVID-19 now at its highest since December in Buncombe County, and seasonal viruses on the way the health department says it is important to take precautions.
The Buncombe County Health Department is located at 40 Coxe Ave. In downtown Asheville and can be reached at 828-250-5096 to make an appointment for immunizations.
The health department also offers walk-in hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 8-11:30 a.M. And on Tuesday and Thursday between 1-4:30 p.M.
More information can be found on their website at Public Health - Immunizations (buncombecounty.Org).
More: COVID-19 on rise in NC and Buncombe, new booster shot coming soon
More: COVID-19 at eight-month high in Buncombe County, but tests are hard to find
McKenna Leavens is the education reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at mleavens@citizentimes.Com or follow her on Twitter @LeavensMcKennna. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe County Health Director: Get chickenpox, measles vaccines
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What Does Shingles Look Like?
Early signs of shingles can include tingling and localized pain. You may also develop a blistering rash that can itch, burn, or hurt.
Read on to learn about the signs of shingles, what the condition can look like, and how you can develop it.
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, occurs when the dormant chickenpox virus (varicella zoster) is reactivated in your nerve tissue.
Usually, the shingles rash lasts 3–5 weeks, and most people completely recover.
Doctors can often quickly diagnose shingles from the appearance of the skin rash.
Before the rash starts, you may develop a burning sensation, itchiness, or tingling on one side of the body, often on the trunk. You may also develop:
When the rash starts, you may notice pink or red blotchy patches on one side of your body along nerve pathways.
These are not contagious yet, but fluid-filled blisters like chickenpox soon develop, possibly accompanied by itching. In most cases, the blisters appear over a localized area, but widespread blistering is possible.
Blisters usually appear on the face and torso but can occur elsewhere. In rare cases, there's no rash.
It's impossible to pass on shingles. But you can get chickenpox from someone with shingles through contact with active blisters due to the same virus causing both illnesses.
Once a rash starts, it's important to consult your doctor within 3 days. In the first 3 days, they can prescribe an antiviral, which can help speed up recovery and lower symptom severity.
Scabbing and crusting Share on PinterestAs shingles heals, the rash will start to scab over (shown on a darker skin tone).Abdmalekmd/Getty Images Share on PinterestIn most cases, shingles rash leaves no scars and fully heals (shown on a lighter skin tone).Helovi/Getty Images BlistersThe blisters sometimes erupt and ooze. They may then turn slightly yellow and begin to flatten. As they dry out, scabs form. Each blister can take 7–10 days to crust over, per the National Institute on Aging.
During this stage, your pain may ease a little, but it can continue for months or, in some cases, years.
Once all blisters have completely crusted over, there's a low risk of transmitting the virus.
The shingles "belt"Shingles often appears around the rib cage or waist and may look like a "belt" or "half belt." You might also hear this formation called a "shingles band" or a "shingles girdle."
This classic presentation is easily recognizable as shingles. The belt can cover a wide area on one side of your midsection. Its location can make tight clothing particularly uncomfortable.
Shingles on the face (ophthalmic shingles) Share on PinterestIn some cases, shingles rash can present near the eye. This is known as ophthalmic shingles.VideoBCN/ShutterstockOphthalmic shingles, also known as herpes zoster ophthalmicus, occurs around the eye. Often, it starts as a burning or tingling sensation on the scalp, cheeks, or forehead.
Like when shingles appears on other areas of the body, the tingling sensation can turn into an itchy, painful rash on the scalp, forehead, or cheeks.
Learn more about the symptoms of ophthalmic shingles. If you're having these symptoms, it's a medical emergency. You need to get medical attention right away to avoid a complication like vision loss.
Widespread shinglesThough less common, people who develop shingles may develop a rash that crosses multiple dermatomes. Dermatomes are separate skin areas that are supplied by separate spinal nerves.
When the rash affects three or more dermatomes, it's called "disseminated or widespread zoster." In these cases, the rash may look more like chickenpox than shingles.
If you have a weakened immune system, you're more likely to develop widespread shingles.
The varicella-zoster virus causes shingles. If you had chickenpox as a child or got the chickenpox vaccine, you can develop shingles at some point in your life. However, you have a lower risk of developing shingles if you've received the vaccine.
The exact reason why the virus resurfaces is still not fully understood. But as you age and your defense against the virus decreases, you may become more susceptible. The chance of developing shingles and related complications increases drastically at age 50 years.
Learn more about what causes shingles to activate.
A secondary bacterial infection is a possible complication of shingles.
Open sores of any kind are always susceptible to bacterial infection. To lower the possibility of secondary infection, keep the area clean and avoid scratching.
People with weakened immune systems have a higher chance of developing infections or other complications.
Other rarer complications include:
Learn more about shingles complications.
Most doctors can visually examine and diagnose shingles based on the rash and other symptoms. In most cases, the rash:
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is in the same viral family as herpes simplex. At first, it may be difficult to tell the two conditions apart because they cause blistering rashes.
But shingles, unlike herpes, typically does not cross the body's midline and often appears on the trunk. Herpes often appears around the genitals or in the mouth. In both cases, a person may not develop a rash at all or may develop other symptoms that can help a doctor distinguish between the two conditions.
It's important to talk with a doctor if you're not sure which virus may be causing the rash.
Learn more about herpes versus shingles.
Shingles rash vs. Poison ivy Share on PinterestPoison ivy rash is very itchy and will appear as red bumps and vesicles, often in streaks. Photo by Nick Tropiano/Shutterstock. Share on PinterestPoison ivy rash will appear red and inflamed and can be painful.Photo by DermNet New Zealand Share on PinterestPoison ivy exposure can cause a quick-forming rash on the exposed areas (shown on a lighter skin tone).Abm6868, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPoison ivy, oak, or sumac can cause an allergic reaction that results in a painful, itchy rash. When the rash appears, it often appears as a straight line.
One way to distinguish between the two conditions is that poison ivy often appears on exposed areas of skin and both sides of the body.
Learn more about the difference between shingles and poison ivy rash, as well as its differences from psoriasis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 3 adults in the United States will develop shingles at least once in their lifetime. Several factors, including age, can raise your risk of developing shingles at least once in your lifetime.
Possible risk factors include:
The CDC notes that other factors may play a part in who develops shingles. But more research is needed to further explain, better understand, and confirm these factors. According to research:
Most people can expect the rash to heal within 2–4 weeks, according to the CDC. Although some people may be left with minor scars, most will completely recover with no visible scarring.
You may have heard that once you get shingles, you cannot get it again. However, the CDC cautions that shingles can return multiple times in some people.
What's a mild case of shingles like?In mild shingles, you may only experience tingling or itching but without the painful blistering. This is more likely in younger people with healthy immune systems. Learn more about mild shingles.
Shingles, or herpes zoster, is caused by the reactivation of the dormant chickenpox virus (varicella zoster) in your nerve tissue. This can lead to tingling sensations and localized pain.
Eventually, a rash with blisters may appear, which can be itchy, uncomfortable, or painful. You cannot transmit shingles to someone else.
However, they can develop chickenpox from contact with active shingles blisters if they never had chickenpox or never received the chickenpox vaccine. Most people recover within a few weeks.
Measles Vaccinations In WI Kindergarteners Trend Down: What To Know
WISCONSIN — The number of Wisconsin kindergartners who are up to date on a suite of standard vaccinations, including those against measles, has followed national trends in recent years that show declining immunization rates against one of the world's most contagious diseases.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows the percentage of children vaccinated against MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) declined nationally from about 95 percent in 2019-2020 to 94 percent the following school year and to 93 percent in the 2021-2022 school year, the last year for which data is available.
Though the decrease is slight, the CDC data shows about 250,000 school children nationwide are unprotected against measles, mumps and rubella, diseases that had been all but eradicated for decades before a tide of vaccine hesitancy began sweeping the country.
Find out what's happening in Across Wisconsinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.The MMR vaccination rate is the lowest in a decade, below the Healthy People 2030 target of 95 percent immunization coverage, which officials say is the level needed to prevent community transmission of measles.
In all, 32 states saw declines in MMR coverage in the 2021-2022 school year — the biggest dip in Georgia, where rates were down more than 5 percent. Rates varied from 78 percent in Alaska to 98.6 percent. Vaccination rates for DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis) and varicella (chickenpox) also declined nationwide.
Find out what's happening in Across Wisconsinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.A Department of Health Services report on vaccine coverage in Wisconsin among children aged 24 months shows a statewide decline in MMR coverage from 88.16 percent in 2013 to 81.92 percent in 2022. The report showed polio vaccine rates decreasing from 85.9 percent to 83.29 percent over the same time period.
In a news release Wednesday, the DHS said 89.9 percent of students met minimum immunization requirements during the 2022-2023 school year, a 1.2 percent increase over the previous year while 2.8 percent of students in the same school year were behind schedule, a decrease from the earlier year.
Around 5.4 percent of students in the state had a waiver for one or more vaccines during the 2022-2023 school year, a 1.2 percent increase over the previous year, the DHS said.
"Nationally, and in Wisconsin, we have seen a decrease over the past several years in the number of children who are up to date on their recommended childhood vaccinations, so we are pleased to see parents and caregivers getting their children caught up and protected ahead of this coming school year," said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, DHS Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist in a news release. "Vaccines are safe, effective, and one of the strongest tools we as parents have to prevent our children from getting a vaccine-preventable disease."
Data from the CDC put Wisconsin's vaccine coverage for MMR, DTaP, varicella and polio down to 82.6 percent across the board, down from over 90 percent in the 2019-2020 school year.
Overall, the CDC recommends that children receive vaccinations against 14 diseases by they're 2, and receive additional doses and immunizations through age 18.
Among those additional diseases is meningitis. Wisconsin health officials recently tried adding a meningitis vaccine to the required school list for middle and high schoolers, but the measure was blocked by state Republicans in March, according to the Associated Press.
See also: Meningitis Shots Added To Required Vaccine List In Wisconsin Schools
Vaccination requirements vary by state. All states require that incoming kindergartners get polio vaccines, and all but Iowa requires measles vaccinations. All but a handful of states require Hepatitis A vaccinations, but fewer than 20 require Hep. B.
Wisconsin requires vaccination for MMR, DTaP, Hepatitis B, varicella chickenpox and polio for entry to kindergarten. Exemptions are allowed for varicella if a parent reports a prior infection in their child, and rules for exemptions have remained unchanged in recent years.
A Kaiser Family Foundation Vaccine Monitor Poll in December showed that while the majority of Americans (71 percent) said healthy kids should get the MMR vaccine before starting kindergarten, but support is waning. Almost 3 in 10 (28 percent) said parents should be able to choose to vaccinate their children or not, even if it means putting their classmates at risk.
A pre-pandemic poll taken by Pew Research Center in October 2019 showed 82 percent of U.S. Adults said measles vaccinations should be a condition of enrolling in kindergarten. Only 16 percent said measles vaccines should be discretionary.
National Institutes of Health studies suggest COVID-19 vaccine misinformation may be contributing to greater hesitancy about childhood vaccines.
Disruptions in day-to-day life also likely contributed to the lower measles coverage rates, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in November.
"The paradox of the pandemic is that while vaccines against COVID-19 were developed in record time and deployed in the largest vaccination campaign in history, routine immunization programs were badly disrupted, and millions of kids missed out on life-saving vaccinations against deadly diseases like measles," he said. "Getting immunization programs back on track is absolutely critical. Behind every statistic in this report is a child at risk of a preventable disease."
At the time, only about 81 percent of children worldwide had received their first measles dose, and only 71 percent had received their second, the lowest global coverage rates of the first dose since 2008.
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