RAPID CITY, SD – South Dakota has confirmed its first case of Measles on May 28th. This development has raised concerns among public health officials, particularly in areas with lower vaccination rates.
Dr. Paula Marsland, a pediatrician at Monument Health Spearfish Clinic, North Avenue, and a veteran with 19 years of experience in pediatrics, emphasized the critical need for high vaccination rates to prevent widespread outbreaks.
“Measles is incredibly contagious,” Dr. Marsland stated. “Experts estimate that we have to have a 95% vaccination rate or better in order to prevent outbreaks from taking hold. And sadly enough, in our country, we have dropped below that, somewhere in the 91 to 93% range. And that is the most likely cause for why the outbreaks keep happening.”
The confirmed case in the Black Hills highlights the vulnerability of communities with lower vaccination coverage. Dr. Marsland noted that some counties in the state have vaccination rates as low as 66%, significantly increasing the risk of further spread.
Dr. Marsland said. “The best prevention for measles is the MMR vaccine. That’s how we protect our kids. That’s how we protect those who can’t be protected by the vaccine – by those who are healthy getting vaccinated.”
Nationally, there have been approximately 1,100 confirmed measles cases, with roughly two-thirds occurring in individuals aged 19 and under. Hospitalizations have also been significant, with about 104 out of 133 hospitalized cases being children, according to recent CDC data. Tragic outcomes have also been reported, with three deaths linked to the current outbreaks, including two children in Texas.
Dr. Marsland expressed profound sorrow regarding these preventable illnesses and deaths. “It breaks my heart,” she said. “Anytime a child gets sick or any person gets sick with a vaccine-preventable disease, I just feel so awful. I feel like we as a medical community can do better.”
Measles, a disease largely unfamiliar to younger generations due to widespread vaccination, was once a common and dangerous threat. Prior to the vaccine, an estimated 3 to 4 million cases of measles occurred annually in the United States, leading to 48,000 hospitalizations and over 500 deaths each year.
The resurgence of measles is often linked to international travel from areas where the disease is endemic, such as sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. The virus then finds fertile ground in communities with low vaccination rates. The 2024 case in South Dakota was reported in Pennington County on July 18th and was also caused by International travel.
“Measles is three times more contagious than flu, than COVID, than Ebola,” Dr. Marsland warned. She described the airborne nature of the virus, noting that if an infected, unmasked person were in an elevator, susceptible individuals entering that elevator within the next two hours would have a 90-100% chance of contracting the virus.
For concerned parents in Rapid City and throughout the Black Hills region, Dr. Marsland offered reassurance about the MMR vaccine. “The measles vaccine is safe,” she affirmed. “Our current vaccine, the MMR that we are using, has been around since 1971. It’s over 50 years of solid data proving its efficacy and its safety.”
She addressed common parental concerns, dispelling the myth that the vaccine has changed and reiterating that the debunked 1998 study linking MMR to autism was based on falsified information.
The MMR vaccine is typically administered between 12 and 15 months of age, with a second dose around 4 to 6 years. However, in certain circumstances, such as international travel or high community exposure, infants as young as six months can receive the vaccine for immediate protection.
Measles can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, ear infections, croup, and diarrhea. More rarely, it can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and can be fatal. Long-term complications, though rare, include “immune amnesia,” where the immune system forgets how to fight other diseases, and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a fatal neurodegenerative condition that can emerge years after infection.
Dr. Marsland urged anyone concerned about exposure or exhibiting symptoms consistent with measles – such as fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a characteristic rash – to contact their healthcare provider immediately. She advised masking before arriving at a clinic or emergency department to prevent further spread.
The public health message remains clear: vaccination is the most effective defense against measles, safeguarding both individuals and the broader community.
