KNOXVILLE — The CDC said measles has been contracted across 21 states, including Tennessee.
So far this year, 107 people have contracted the deadly disease across the United States since Jan. 2018. One person in West Tennessee was treated earlier this year.
The CDC said these numbers are similar to previous years and within its expected range.
A multitude of national and local news agencies, including WBIR, previously reported on an 'outbreak' of measles. However, the CDC said while the numbers they reported are correct -- these particular cases were not considered to be part of a unified outbreak by its standards. It said the term 'outbreak' is specifically used when three or more cases are confirmed in a particular health facility, district, or city block.
When we first reported this, our post online was flooded with comments and concerns from people asking about vaccinations and the disease.
We took your questions to Dr. Joe Peeden, a pediatrician with East Tennessee Children's Hospital, to get some answers.
"The rates of vaccination have been dropping off and on for decades," said Dr. Peeden. "So it doesn’t surprise me."
Our first question for Dr. Peeden was whether or not measles is preventable.
"Measles is a terrible illness and it’s totally preventable," said Dr. Peeden. "It can kill you."
Online, you asked if measles can be spread by people who have been vaccinated. Dr. Peeden says yes, but something had to have gone wrong with the vaccination.
"If for some reason they’ve been under vaccinated, the vaccines were not given in an appropriate manner, or they just did not respond and they contracted measles," said Dr. Peeden.
You also asked, can vaccines fail? Dr. Peeden says yes, but not often.
"Not all vaccines are 100%," said Dr. Peeden. "Some people don’t react. But generally, they give you good protection against illnesses."
We’ve all had to get booster shots at the Doctor’s office. Dr. Peeden says that answers the question about whether or not vaccines wear off over time.
"They do, but there is a schedule that if we continue, maintains immunity," said Dr. Peeden. "A good example of that is whooping cough. As you get older, young adults, older children, can lose their immunity, but they are re-vaccinated."
Finally, you asked at what point is something considered an outbreak. The CDC says it all depends on the disease. When the amount of a disease in a community rises above the expected level, an outbreak or epidemic is announced.
Editors Note: The CDC has clarified that the cases of measles were not part of a multi-state outbreak as previously reported.