One of the most contagious diseases
Dr. Nakano Takashi, a professor at Kawasaki Medical School, is an infectious disease expert. He says, "It may not be an exaggeration to say that measles is the most contagious of infectious diseases. It has been afflicting people since the start of humanity."
Measles exists in the nose and throat mucus of infected individuals, and is usually spread through coughing and sneezing. Doctors say there's nearly a 100% chance of being infected just by being in the same room as the infected person. A virus carrier can on average infect 12 to 18 people. The average for COVID-19, in contrast, was two to three people.
Measles symptoms can include a high fever, cough, runny nose, skin rash and even pneumonia in more severe cases. One out of 1,000 patients could develop encephalitis. The disease can be life-threatening for babies and toddlers, and can cause pregnant women to have miscarriages or premature births.
Be prepared
Dr. Nakano says people who have already had measles and those who have been vaccinated twice will usually not develop symptoms if they come in contact with a carrier. He recommends people check to see how many times they've been vaccinated.
Why so many cases now?
Europe and Southeast Asia are among the regions that have recently experienced measles outbreaks.
Japan's health minister, Takemi Keizo, told reporters on March 8 that the number of cases in Europe was 30 times greater than the previous fiscal year. Some were serious and even fatal.
Tokyo Medical University Professor Hamada Atsuo is an expert on infectious diseases. Hamada notes that many countries didn't vaccinate all children for measles during the COVID-19 pandemic and the virus spread in Asia and Africa. He believes it began being transmitted to developed countries after border controls were eased.
Misleading information spreading
A woman from Osaka who had been on the flight from the UAE was confirmed to be infected with measles while traveling in Tokyo.
As a precaution, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government released information on where the woman had traveled in Tokyo, including the restaurant she ate at. It asked people who had also visited any of those places at that time to go see a doctor — but not use public transportation — if they notice any change in their health.
Some people reacted to the news by posting misleading information on social media. One post asserted, "It's a chance to gain natural immunity, if you live near the restaurant I'd recommend going." Another post said if you take vitamins you don't need to be vaccinated.
Doctors recommend vaccination
In January, International group Gavi the Vaccine Alliance said, "Misinformation is fueling the current measles crisis."
Gavi noted vaccination rates have been falling and called on people to get vaccinated, saying, "There is a vaccine that is safe and is 97% effective — just two doses offer lifelong protection."
Vaccines are not risk-free. Some people have reportedly developed encephalitis and encephalopathy after receiving the measles vaccination. But the risk is much lower than that posed by measles.