Fort Cavazos’ public health teams support the community during the concerns of Texas measles | Article

Fort Cavazos, Texas – Texas Department of State and Health Services reports 259 cases of measles identified since the end of January, from March 14. Thirty-four patients were hospitalized and the Centers for Disease and Control have reported cases in many other states.

The Public Health Nursing Team of the Army of the Public Health Department of Fort Cavazos and Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center works hard to raise awareness of the prevention and propagation of diseases such as measles and provide the Central Community of Texas Critical Information.

“We want the community to know that measles is extremely contagious,” said Yesenia Montoya, responsible for transmitted diseases and authorized nurse, army public health, CRDAMC. “A case of positive measles can potentially infect nine other people, in particular newborns, infants, immunocompromised, non-vaccinated and those which are more likely to collect infections. We are trying to develop a process to ensure everyone’s safety and limit exposure to our population here. »»

The measles spreads in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus is very contagious and can lead to serious complications, especially for babies and young children. Serious complications are pneumonia, swelling of the brain and death.

“We are monitoring transmissible diseases for the hospital and one of our functions is to perform reports that show which conditions arise and what diagnoses doctors use when they care about patients,” said Montoya. “There are certain diseases which must be reported in the state and the army. If we see that a certain disease has an unusual number of cases, that would alert us to investigate more. »»

We hold the hand to the public with regard to these diseases and give advice to our staff on how to take care of patients who may present concerns, she added.

According to the State Department and the Texas Health Services, the best way to prevent patients is to be immune to two doses of measles vaccine, which is mainly administered as the combined vaccine against measles-rumps-rublla.

CRDAMC offers the vaccine in its pediatric and family medicine clinics. Patients receive two doses of mmr vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) at 12 months and four years. For questions related to exposure or vaccine, patients must contact their clinic or affected primary care manager.

“Routine vaccinations have been used for many years and have considerably reduced serious illnesses that cause long -term complications, hospitalizations or deaths which are now mainly avoidable,” said Major Colby Pearson, head of the CRDAMC pediatric clinic. “They are safe, effective and well studied. Over time, they were made safer. There are possible side effects as for any medication, the most common being fever, pain and swelling or local redness, but serious adverse events are very rare and generally more manageable than the complications caused by the diseases they are supposed to protect. »»

Immunizations help create immunity among those who receive them. It gives your immune system the ability to target and eliminate these diseases quickly and effectively if they exposed themselves before it passes to the disease in the individual, he added.

For more information on the vaccination and maintenance of your child healthy, visit: https://www.healthychildren.org/english/safety-frevention/immunisations/pages/vaccine-studes-examine–fhe-evidence.aspx or

https://www.healthychildren.org/english/SAFETY-Prevention/immuzations/Pages/Vaccine-safety–facts.aspx.

Keeping the girl in the fall on vaccines is a priority for the CPS. Tyrece Campbell, chemical specialist, 181st Company Chemical, 2nd Chemical Battalion, 48th Chemical Brigade.

“It’s the right place and the right time for her to receive the vaccine,” said Campbell.

“Vaccinations must occur so that our population remains healthy,” said Klarissa Parsons, authorized nurse, CRDAMC Pediatrics. “All of these children go to the public and public schools, so we must be aware and prevent 100% avoidable things, and that’s what vaccines do.”

After giving the vaccines several times a day and most of them with children who cry when they receive it, Parson was faced by remembering that it is essential. “I know that it is necessary, so as long as I always go to the room with these pure intentions every time, I know that what I do helps,” she added.

Signs and symptoms that a person has the virus is a cough, a flowing nose, fever, aqueous eyes and start one to two weeks after someone is exposed. Two to three days after the start of the symptoms, tiny white spots (Koplik spots) can appear inside the mouth. A rash that starts with hair / scalp and progress in the body will usually start three to five days after other symptoms.

For more information on measles, visit: Texas Department of State Health Services and the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/measles.

With cases of measles increasing, this is the ideal time to make sure you, and your family is protected against this contagious disease.

If you have a measle or a suspicion that you have been exposed to measles, immediately call your health care provider and let them know that you have been exposed to someone who has measles.

To reduce the propagation of the virus, please share this information with your health care team during appointments. To reduce the risk of measles propagation to others, wear a mask before entering the health care center.

If you wish to make sure you and your loved ones are up to date on your vaccines, please contact your health care provider by phone, the patient portal on PatientPortal.mhsgenis.health.mil, or by calling the patient’s meeting service at 254-288-8888.

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