February 6, Dear Families:

Transcription

1 February 6, 2015 Dear Families: As we do any time there is a health threat in the community, such as the current measles outbreak, we want to make sure we are addressing any concerns. The health and well-being of the children in our care are our most important responsibility. We have implemented several precautionary measures to protect those in our child care centers, and we want to make sure that all families are aware of the following policies and procedures that we have put in place. These guidelines are based on information gathered from the Centers for Disease Control, the local health department, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. We are working to minimize risk and help protect our infants who cannot be immunized until they are 12 months old, and the staff who care for them. We will be limiting access to the infant rooms, including sibling visits, and only parents and those who are caring for the children in the room will be allowed in the infant rooms during this time. We are also making it a requirement for teachers and staff who care for infants or participate in the infant program to show proof of measles immunity. If any child (including infants under twelve months), staff, or parent is exposed to the measles or has a family member who has measles, and they have not been immunized, they are required to stay out of the center for 21 days. If there is a case of measles in a center, we will follow the guidance of the local health department and take any necessary steps to ensure that we are doing everything to prevent the spread of the virus. We strongly encourage all parents to make sure that all their vaccines and their children s vaccines, particularly the MMR vaccine, are up-to-date. We want to protect everyone in our centers from the serious risks posed by measles and the best way to do that is to make sure that as many people as possible are vaccinated. As you know, the safety, health, and hygiene procedures that are standard policy at Bright Horizons centers and schools are the best basic protection against the spread of any virus. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we work together to keep our children, families, and staff healthy. If we think it is necessary, we will make any and all appropriate updates to this policy as the situation warrants. As always, please contact your Director with questions, but if you would like further information about measles, we have a fact sheet, or you can visit the CDC website at Sincerely, Judy Oliva Senior Vice President Bright Horizons Family Solutions 200 Talcott Avenue South, Watertown, Massachusetts p f One of Fortune Magazine s 100 Best Companies to Work for in America

2 INFORMATION FOR PARENTS DISEASES and the VACCINES THAT PREVENT THEM Measles and the Vaccine (Shot) to Prevent It Last updated July 2014 The best way to protect against measles is to get the measles-mumps-rubella shot (called the MMR shot). Doctors recommend that all children get the MMR shot. Why should my child get the MMR shot? The MMR shot: Protects your child from measles, a potentially serious disease (and also protects against mumps and rubella) Prevents your child from getting an uncomfortable rash and high fever from measles Keeps your child from missing school or childcare (and keeps you from missing work to care for your sick child) What is measles? Measles is a serious respiratory disease (in the lungs and breathing tubes) that causes a rash and fever. It is very contagious. In rare cases, it can be deadly. What are the symptoms of measles? Measles starts with a fever that can get very high. Some of the other symptoms that may occur are: Cough, runny nose, and red eyes Rash of tiny, red spots that start at the head and spread to the rest of the body Diarrhea Ear infection Is the MMR shot safe? Yes. The MMR shot is very safe, and it is effective at preventing measles (as well as mumps and rubella). Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. But most children who get the MMR shot have no side effects. What are the side effects? Most children do not have any side effects from the shot. The side effects that do occur are usually very mild, such as a fever or rash. More serious side effects are rare. These may include high fever that could cause a seizure (in about 1 person out of every 3,000 who get the shot) and temporary pain and stiffness in joints (mostly in teens and adults). Is there a link between the MMR shot and autism? No. Scientists in the United States and other countries have carefully studied the MMR shot. None has found a link between autism and the MMR shot. Doctors recommend that your child get 2 doses of the MMR shot for best protection. Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages: 12 through 15 months 4 through 6 years Infants 6 months to 11 months old should have 1 dose of MMR shot before traveling abroad. CS A

3 GuidanceResources Online - Measles Page 1 of 2 2/4/2015 Measles Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. Measles causes fever, runny nose, cough and a rash all over the body. Cause Transmission Frequency of Occurrence Signs and Symptoms Diagnosing the Disease Treatment Prevention Resources Cause Measles and the virus that causes it share the same name. The disease is also called rubeola. Measles virus normally grows in the cells that line the back of the throat and lungs. Transmission Measles is highly contagious and can be spread to others from four days before to four days after the rash appears. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, 90 percent of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected with the measles virus. The virus lives in the mucus in the nose and throat of the infected person. When that person sneezes or coughs, droplets spray into the air. The droplets can get into other people s noses or throats when they breathe or put their fingers in their mouth or nose after touching an infected surface. The virus can live on infected surfaces for up to two hours and spreads so easily that people who are not immune will probably get it when they come close to someone who is infected. Measles is a disease of humans and cannot spread by any other animal species. Frequency of Occurrence Measles is almost gone from the United States; however, it still kills nearly 200,000 people each year around the world. Signs and Symptoms Note that other rash-causing diseases are often confused with measles, including roseola (roseola infantum) and rubella (German measles). The symptoms of measles generally begin about seven to 14 days after a person is infected and include: Blotchy rash Fever Cough Runny nose Red, watery eyes Feeling run down or achy Tiny white spots with bluish-white centers found inside the mouth. A typical case of measles begins with: Mild to moderate fever Cough Runny nose Red eyes Sore throat. Two or three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth. Three to five days after the start of symptoms, a red or reddish-brown rash appears. The rash usually begins on a person s face at the hairline and spreads downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, a person s fever may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit. After a few days, the fever subsides, and the rash fades.

4 GuidanceResources Online - Measles Page 2 of 2 2/4/2015 Complications of measles infection may include: Bronchitis Encephalitis (about one out of 1,000 measles cases) Ear infection Pneumonia. About one in 10 children with measles also gets an ear infection, and up to one out of 20 gets pneumonia. About one out of 1,000 gets encephalitis, and one or two out of 1,000 die. It is important to note that measles can make a pregnant woman have a miscarriage or give birth prematurely. Diagnosing the Disease A doctor can diagnose the disease with a physical exam to look for signs or symptoms. If the healthcare provider is unsure, he or she may order: A blood test to look for antibodies to the measles virus A throat culture to look for the virus. Treatment There is no specific treatment for the measles. Taking serum immune globulin six days after being exposed to the virus can reduce the risk of developing measles or can make the disease less severe. The following may relieve symptoms: Acetaminophen Bed rest Humidified air. Some children may need vitamin A supplements. Vitamin A reduces the risk of death and complications in children in less developed countries, where children may not be getting enough vitamin A. People who do not get enough vitamin A are more likely to get infections, including measles. It is not clear whether children in more developed countries would benefit from supplements. Prevention Measles can be prevented by the combination MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. In the decade before the measles vaccination program began, an estimated 3 million to 4 million people in the United States were infected each year, of whom 400 to 500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized and another 1,000 developed chronic disability from measles encephalitis. Widespread use of the measles vaccine has led to a greater than 99 percent reduction in measles cases in the United States compared with the pre-vaccine era. In 2009, only 71 cases of measles were reported in the United States. Some parents do not let their children get vaccinated because of unfounded fears that the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, can cause autism. Large studies of thousands of children have found no connection between this vaccine and autism. Not vaccinating children can lead to outbreaks of measles, mumps and rubella all of which are potentially serious diseases of childhood. Measles is still commonplace in other countries. The virus is highly contagious and can spread rapidly in areas where vaccination is not widespread. Before any international travel, infants six to 11 months of age should have at least one dose of measles-containing vaccine. Children 12 months of age or older should have two doses separated by at least 28 days. If you have a new health insurance plan or insurance policy beginning on or after Sept. 23, 2010, measles immunization vaccines for adults and children must be covered under the Affordable Care Act (doses, recommended ages and recommended populations vary), without your having to pay a co-payment or co-insurance or meet your deductible. This applies only when these services are delivered by a network provider, and some other restrictions may apply. Resources American Academy of Pediatrics: National Network for Immunization Information: World Health Organization: Measles & Rubella Initiative: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: U.S. National Library of Medicine: HealthCare.gov: ComPsych Corporation. All rights reserved. This information is for educational purposes only. It is always important to consult with the appropriate professional on financial, medical, legal, behavioral or other issues. As you read this information, it is your responsibility to make sure that the facts and ideas apply to your situation.

5 Is it serious? Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. From , 28% of children younger than 5 years old who had measles had to be treated in the hospital. For some children, measles can lead to: Pneumonia (a serious lung infection) Lifelong brain damage Deafness Death How does measles spread? Measles spreads when a person infected with the measles virus breathes, coughs, or sneezes. It is very contagious. You can catch measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, up to 2 hours after that person is gone. And you can catch measles from an infected person even before they have a measles rash. Almost everyone who has not had the MMR shot will get measles if they are exposed to the measles virus. How many measles cases are there in the United States each year? From 2001 to 2013, the number of measles cases reported in the United States ranged from 37 to 220. However, in some years like 2014, there have been more measles cases than usual. From January 1 to July 18, 2014, there have been 580 people in 20 states reported as having measles. Most of these people got measles in the United States after being exposed to someone who got measles while in another country. So far in 2014, there have been 18 measles outbreaks in the United States. For more information, see measles/cases-outbreaks.html. Where can I learn more about the MMR shot and my child? To learn more about the MMR shot, talk to your child s doctor, call CDC-INFO, or visit vaccines/parents. Where do measles cases in the United States come from? Measles disease can come into this country when unvaccinated U.S. residents travel internationally or foreign visitors to the United States are exposed to measles in another country and travel into the United States. The risk of getting measles may be very high for unvaccinated U.S. residents who travel abroad. The reason for this high risk is because measles is common in other parts of the world, including countries in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. Worldwide, about 20 million people get measles each year. When people with measles travel into the United States, they can spread the disease to unvaccinated people including children too young to be vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommend children receive all vaccines according to the recommended schedule.