Parks Disneyland and Disney California Adventure They have become a kind of Zero Zone of measles. They are suffering an outbreak of the disease, which had been declared eradicated in the United States in 2000.
In the last month, cases related to amusement parks that have been increasing have been detected. The number of people affected is 70 people and more are still expected. Being such a contagious disease, and given that the area is a hotbed of the anti-vaccine movement, Disneyland authorities have decided to release the warning of Do not visit your California parks to children who are not vaccinated against measles.
Apparently, the first infections occurred before Christmas. An affected person infected others and thus began the chain. Among those affected are five employees of the park, who as soon as they started having symptoms stayed at home, but before that they could have infected several people.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease that can spread through the air through coughing or sneezing. It is believed that if a person is sick, 90% of people close to that person who are not immune are also infected.
As reported by the park authorities, infected people are in an age range between seven months and 70 years. Most of them were not vaccinated, and a quarter of the patients had to be hospitalized.
The disease has spread from parks to eleven counties in California, Utah, the state of Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Mexico.
It can happen anywhere
This time the news has been Disney parks, there were many ballots for that to happen. The highest concentration, at least 20 of the cases, have occurred in Orange County (where Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park are located) considered a focus of the anti-vaccine movement.
In California, the proportion of vaccinated children is below the recommended 92%. Although the group immunization that also protects the unvaccinated is taken into account, if the unvaccinated exceed 8% they are a risk factor for everyone else.
But an outbreak like this it could happen anywhere if the proportion of vaccinated children falls below that level of protection. Sites attended by a large number of people such as schools, airports, restaurants, shops, including foreigners who spread the disease in turn to other countries. The only thing that can be done to prevent measles, as well as other highly contagious diseases that should be eradicated, is the immunization.
What would be another solution? Isolate unvaccinated children? Prohibit them from enjoying an amusement park or that they cannot go to school? Measles is a disease considered benign, but that in infants or in immunologically depressed children could have serious complications.
