State health officials are widening access to the measles vaccine as confirmed community transmission in Western North Carolina marks a shift in the current outbreak. In a letter to health care providers, State Epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore said clinicians can now offer an elective dose of the MMR vaccine to infants as young as 6 months in areas with active spread, like Buncombe County.
While most North Carolina cases to date have been linked to an ongoing outbreak in upstate South Carolina, Moore noted that recent transmission within Buncombe County prompted the expanded recommendations. Last week, local health officials confirmed a case involving a child exposed in the Mission Hospital emergency department in Asheville.
Most children do not receive their first MMR dose until age 1. Buncombe County Public Health Director Ellis Matheson said during a recent briefing that early vaccination is an important option for families in high-risk communities.
"The risk for more severe outcomes is the highest in infants under 12 months of age and that includes things like pneumonia, encephalitis... and also death," Matheson said. "So that is one reason why this recommendation is made when we are seeing the ongoing community transmission."
Because an infant's immune system is still developing, the elective dose given before age 1 is considered an extra level of protection and does not replace the routine two-dose series required for school. Matheson encourages parents and caregivers to discuss with a child’s medical provider whether early MMR vaccination is appropriate for their infant.
The state is also expanding vaccine coverage for underinsured adults. This change is for people whose insurance only partially covers the MMR shot or requires high out-of-pocket costs. Now, they can receive the vaccine at no cost through participating local health departments and federally qualified health centers.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air and close contact, often starting with fever and cough before a rash appears days later. There are now 14 confirmed cases in North Carolina, with three new infections reported in Mecklenburg County. Totals in the west have held steady at nine since last week. Six cases are confirmed in Buncombe, with additional ones in Polk and Rutherford counties.
