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UTAH COUNTY — In the wake of Disneyland-contracted measles cases in Utah and 18 cases nationwide, one doctor still worries that a measles outbreak is still possible.
Dr. Joseph Miner from the Utah County Health Department noted that while this particular outbreak is over, he still reminds people that it doesn’t mean they should stop worrying. Rather this outbreak should be a wakeup call to individuals regarding the importance of immunizations, Miner said.
“Measles is a very serious disease and these three cases we had here in Utah County and the state of Utah, were very ill,” Miner noted.
The three Utah cases of measles contracted at Disneyland involved unvaccinated teens — all from the same family.
Hundreds of people were potentially exposed as the teens were in public places in Provo and Orem until they were diagnosed in early January.
Utah has a vaccination rate of 95 percent, and Miner believes some people mistakenly believe they are protected since the majority of the population is immunized.
“Because the vaccine has been so successful, a lot of parents think they are not at risk and don't know how serious they are,” Miner noted.
Cemeteries have many, many gravesites of infants, toddlers and preschool children who died from vaccine preventable diseases. We could easily return to that if people decided they didn't want to immunize.
–Dr. Joseph Miner, the Utah County Health Department
This measles outbreak is giving parents who had opted out of immunizing their children something to think about, Miner said.
“We had a number of families who were not immunizing their children who decided they were going to get the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) immunization at least because they realized this is a serious disease and it is not past us. We know we are susceptible,” Miner said.
Miner fears some new parents don't have the perspective that their grandparents had, who saw firsthand the devastating effects from diseases that now are routinely prevented by immunizations.
“Cemeteries have many, many gravesites of infants, toddlers and preschool children who died from vaccine preventable diseases. We could easily return to that if people decided they didn't want to immunize,” Miner warned.
