CINCINNATI (Liz Bonis) -- When it comes to vaccinations and measles, family medicine specialists say it's tough to know what's true, and what's not about measles.
One of the things we wanted to know is what kind of questions pediatricians were getting as we see this outbreak of measles continue to spread.
When Faith Gabriel, who's now 10-years-old, comes in for a visit to her pediatrician, her mother Cheryl received the care she needed and a little reassurance about her children's vaccinations.
Because they're updated, I am not really concerned about them, said Cheryl. Me, however? I am not really sure.
Cheryl knows her children are protected, but she vows now to find out if she ever got the vaccine which protects against this virus.
It's referred to as the MMR, or Measles Mumps and Rubella Vaccine, adults can get it anytime,
Children can get vaccinated as soon as the age of one, or 12 months, and they get a booster at about 4 to 6-years-old, said Family Medicine Dr. Lynn Gronbach.
Dr. Lynn Gronbach said that whenever there is vaccine controversy you have to weigh the benefit versus the risk.
Complications from measles can be pneumonia, infections to the brain such as encephalitis, and ultimately death, which can be preventable, said Dr. Gronbach.
Some families stopped getting this vaccine several years ago after a report that questioned it's link to complications such as autism,
It turns out that there is absolutely no evidence that the vaccine causes autism, said Dr. Stephen Blatt. Multiple studies have been done refuting that initial report about this vaccine and autism, and in fact there's no evidence that this vaccine causes autism.
One of the things that we do know is even though we have not seen immediate cases in our area infection control experts do expect that there will be some in the weeks to come,
Getting a vaccine now means that in a week or two you can have that protection.
Experts say this is a virus you breathe in.
You can get it simply by being in a room after an infected person has left.
You can actually spread it before you even develop the rash.
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