As the start of a new school year approaches, families whose children attend public schools must consider whether they’re up to date on their vaccinations. This is because, depending on a child’s age, they need to be vaccinated against preventable diseases in order to be admitted to school.
From the time they’re born, babies and children have a set vaccination schedule that protects them from what used to be dreaded, sometimes deadly diseases, such as mumps, measles, rubella, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough).
Unfortunately, we have seen a worrisome resurgence of diseases that had previously, thanks to vaccines, been eradicated.
One of the most alarming recent surges we have seen 2025, is that measles has reached 38 states as of July.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness, and it can also lead to neurologic complications. It’s so contagious in fact, that for every one person infected, up to 12-18 individuals can catch measles — numbers that strikingly illustrate how quickly it can spread. Measles is transmitted through the air and contracted when someone comes into contact with the drops from an infected person’s expelled air from breathing, a cough, or a sneeze. Unfortunately, measles is hearty and can live in the air for two hours.
Though measles was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000, and even though people weren’t getting sick with the virus, the disease still continued to exist. Illness explodes when large swaths of the population are unvaccinated. This is a perfect illustration about why vaccination not only protects the person who was vaccinated, but from a public health perspective, getting vaccinated safeguards the larger community as well.
Sadly, this year’s measles outbreak has sickened over 1,250 people, and 12% of them have required hospitalization. Tragically, three deaths from measles have also occurred.
In North Carolina, there has so far been one confirmed measles case, and the state Health Department has needed to connect with 200 individuals across 32 counties who the infected person came in contact with while infectious. This case vividly illustrates what can happen when even a single person gets sick with measles, and how rapidly and far it can spread.
Measles symptoms include a high fever that can spike to over 104°, runny nose and cough, and red, watery eyes. About two or three days after the onset of symptoms, tiny white spots appear inside the mouth, and three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash appears. It starts out as flat red spots that emerge on the face at the hairline, but it then spreads down to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. It’s critical to contact your healthcare provider if you suspect that you have been exposed to measles.
I urge all parents to make sure that their children are up to date on all their vaccines, but right now, the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine is crucial. Some adults need to get boosters as well, especially if they received their measles vaccine between the years 1963 and 1967. Those born before 1957 are thought to have exposure-related immunity.
Vaccines are an amazing development, and help your body learn to defend itself against diseases, while saving you from experiencing the full effects of the illness. Talk to your provider about your and your family’s vaccine schedules, whether you’re all up to date, and if you’re not, devise a schedule to get your family there.
Tonia W. Hale, DNP, MAOM, BSN, RN, is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nursing Officer of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine. Hale is a proven leader with more than 32 years of progressive healthcare experience. A native of East Tennessee, she holds an associate’s degree in nursing from Walters State Community College, a baccalaureate degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee, a master’s degree in organizational management from Tusculum University, and a doctor of nursing practice degree in executive leadership from East Tennessee State University. Ms. Hale is currently a resident of Burnsville.
