Measles Touch Down in Bay State
Original article from Boston Herald by Alexi Cohan August 25, 2018
Citing measles as “probably the most infectious human virus on the planet,” a Boston University professor of microbiology stressed the importance of vaccinations as state health officials confirmed a case of measles and warned others who may have been exposed.
The infected individual was at a number of locations in the Boston area, including Logan International Airport on Aug. 15. Other locations of concern include Lexington High School Library on Aug. 16, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center on Aug. 20 and 21, and the Irving H. Mabee Town Pool complex on Aug. 19.
Paul Duprex, a professor of microbiology at Boston University, has been studying measles for 20 years. According to Duprex, measles is highly contagious and — to the unvaccinated — a serious threat.
“It’s probably the most infectious human virus on the planet,” Duprex said, adding that the solution to ending these exposures is to vaccinate. He said the measles vaccine is “phenomenally good,” and “it’s more dangerous to get the disease than it is to get the vaccine.”