Disneyland is best known for being the place where dreams come true, but we highly doubt Disney officials would have dreamed of this—a measles outbreak.
If you’re currently planning a trip to one of the Disney parks and have unvaccinated children in tow, you may want to think twice. California officials are urging everyone who hasn’t been vaccinated for measles to avoid visiting any of the Disneyland resorts, where the measles outbreak began. So far 70 people have been infected.
New cases linked to the popular theme park emerged on Wednesday and has already spread to five different states across the U.S and Mexico. However officials note that 62 of those cases are from California alone.
People who haven’t received the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, or MMR, are highly susceptible to contracting the illness and should avoid going to Disneyland “for the time being,” said state epidemiologist Gil Chavez. He also advises those people to avoid places with high concentrations of international travellers, such as airports.
Luckily, those who have been vaccinated can breath a sigh of relief. Chavez says those who have been immunized don’t need to take the same precautions. Which means you should be okay on your upcoming trip to Disneyland!
So far, those who have been infected in the outbreak range in age from 7-70 years old, a majority of which hadn’t been immunized. Five of those infected were Disneyland employees but three have since returned to work. Since the outbreak began, Disney officials have requested that all workers who were in contact with any of the infected provide proof of their immunization. Disney is also currently offering vaccinations to all their employees.
According to the World Health Organization, measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children globally, even with a preventable vaccine available. Even though the virus has been completely eradicated from the U.S since 2000, it can still enter the country through other infected travellers.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus which can lead to serious complications, including death. Symptoms range from high fever, runny rose, coughing, red and watery eyes and a severe skin rash. Pregnant women, infants under 6 months old, those with a weakened immune system and those who haven’t been vaccinated are at high risk of contracting the virus.
i’m okay with vaccinations…just so long as you’re forcing me to vax my babies, i should be able to force to to breastfeed for at least a year. it’s about the health, right?