Six days ago, the Centers for Disease Control reported 121 cases of measles in 17 states. This is a 19 percent increase from just a week earlier when the CDC had reported 102 cases in 14 states.

With the measles virus rapidly spreading throughout the U.S. those living in Vicksburg may wonder if the virus will make its way to Mississippi and if so, are we safe.

Dr. Gordon Sluis, a pediatrician at the Street Clinic said the answer to both questions is yes.

“People in Vicksburg should not be worried right now, however, the rate of measles is now in 17 states. I would certainly say that this outbreak will continue to spread and that it well may come to Mississippi. I wouldn’t say that people need to be anxious, but people need to be diligent — don’t be panicked, but be diligent about getting protection for both this outbreak and for future exposures,” Sluis said.

There is no treatment for measles, and the best prevention is by immunization, he said.

“If you are exposed, you will probably get it if you are not already protected. It’s a 90 percent likelihood of catching it from somebody that you are in contact with,” Sluis said.

Hand washing and wearing a mask are not preventative measures; only immunization works, he said.

A British study published in 1998 suggested there was a link between autism and the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella in a group of a dozen children. The report led to an increase in parents who do not immunize their children. Critics of the study say the sample size was not large enough for conclusive results, and the study has been discredited in scientific circles.

Sluis said he felt like increased concerns over immunization were growing, even without the now-discredited study.

“There was already a lot of concern about the pertussis vaccine — the whooping cough — back in the ’80s and ’90s and the side effects from it. So after the formulation for the whooping cough and pertussis was changed, the rate of side effects dropped and the concern about side effects dropped off dramatically, but that had already raised an anti-vaccine concern — so yeah there probably would have been concern about the measles vaccine even if there hadn’t been the autism scare,” Sluis said.

Autism Speaks, the country’s largest autism activist group, issued a statement on its website this week updating their stance on vaccines and autism.

“Over the last two decades, extensive research has asked whether there is any link between childhood vaccinations and autism. The results of this search are clear; Vaccines do no cause autism. We urge that all children be fully vaccinated,” reads the statement from Rob Ring, the group’s chief science officer.

There is no difference in the autism rate between groups of people who have received the MMR vaccination and those who haven’t, Sluis said.

“The diagnosis for autism is usually made in a young preschool age child and that is also when you are getting the MMR vaccine, so because of that time association some people made a cause and effect association,” Sluis said.

The vaccine is safe but can cause some unwanted side effects, he said.

“There are known low rates of fever rash joint discomfort and seizures from fever. Since there is a low rate of fever from almost any vaccine, some children are susceptible to having seizures triggered by fever. It is one thing that scares off people. However, the seizures triggered by fever are known to not cause epilepsy or any brain damage. Even though it’s scary to recognize your child could have a seizure it’s not dangerous to their brain,” Sluis said.

Seizures from fever occur in 1 out of 3,000 children, he said.

Sluis said he thought it would be helpful to think of getting the vaccine for selfish and unselfish reason — selfishly for not wanting your child or your family to contract the disease and unselfishly for not wanting spread the disease.

“Measles are highly contagious. Ninety percent of people who are exposed to it if not already immune will get the virus. It is probably the most contagious infection around — much more than Ebola,” said Sluis.

“You can pick up the virus from someone who coughs passing you in Walmart,” he said.

Some people are fearful that giving children multiple vaccines will overload their systems and are asking to delay getting them, but that should not be a concern, Sluis said. Giving the inoculation at an earlier age means earlier prevention, he said.

The first vaccine is typically given between the ages of 12 to 15 months and again from ages 4 to 6. It is estimated that 95 percent of children who get the first vaccine will be immune, Sluis said.

On Thursday, amid the concerns about measles outbreak in other states bill weaken Mississippi’s childhood vaccination law by allowing religious or personal belief exemptions died. Mississippi has some of the most stringent vaccine requirements in the country.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2013-14 Mississippi had a 99.7 percent vaccination rate of kindergartners in public and private schools, the country’s highest, for three vaccines: measles, mumps and rubella; the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis; and varicella. The national median was 93.3 to 95 percent.

Measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus. Symptoms include a cough, runny nose and red eyes. After a few days, the measles rash will cover the whole body. Complications include ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis and death in some cases.