Health Buzz: Measles Epidemic and Other Health News
Most Patients in Measles Outbreak Hadn't Been Vaccinated
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received 64 reports of the measles between January 1 and April 25, the largest number of cases reported for that period since 2001. The illnesses occurred in nine states, according to the CDC, and outbreaks are ongoing in four of those states—Arizona, New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Ten of the patients contracted measles abroad, and the other cases are considered to be linked to the cases in which the disease was imported from other countries.
The CDC says that many measles cases happen in kids whose parents claim an exemption from vaccination due to religious or personal beliefs, or in children not yet old enough to be vaccinated. Only one recently infected person had documentation of prior vaccination against the illness. The ill also include 14 infants, who were too young to have been vaccinated yet. The recent outbreak emphasizes how important it is for adults and kids to be vaccinated against the measles, the agency says.
U.S. News provides perspective on whether vaccination is risky, helps parents decide whether to vaccinate their children, and sizes up the risk of catching an illness while traveling.
Health Savings Accounts Grow in Number; McCain Endorses Them
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain, in a major healthcare speech this week, said people need to make their own healthcare decisions, and he said he supports health savings accounts (HSAs) as one way to help "put the family in charge of what they pay for," Michelle Andrews reports. McCain outlined a health plan that could mean higher taxes, mostly for those with higher incomes and more expensive health plans, according to the New York Times.
In 2007, the number of Americans covered by HSAs grew to 6.1 million, up from 4.5 million the year before, according to a new survey by America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group. But with total private insurance coverage topping 170 million, that's small potatoes, Andrews reports.
The plans must have a deductible of at least $2,200 for families and $1,100 for individuals in 2008, among other criteria. An HSA that links to the plan allows people to accumulate money tax free to pay for medical expenses. Discover why such high-deductible plans may be too costly for many people, and learn about the costs of such plans for couples planning to have a baby.
Genetic Nondiscrimination Bill Passes Congress
Congress passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act yesterday. If signed into law, the bill would make it illegal for companies and insurers to discriminate against people based on genetic information about them, such as predispositions certain people may have to developing breast cancer, sickle cell disease, or diabetes. President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law.
The legislation had been in the works for years, as U.S. News's Bernadine Healy explained in November. And in the On Women blog, Deborah Kotz provides examples of people who've been denied insurance and even jobs because of their genes.
Medical "Tourists" Find Cheaper Surgery Abroad
Thousands of Americans are leaving the United States to undergo surgery in other countries where it can be substantially cheaper, Avery Comarow reports. Estimates of medical travelers outbound from the United States range from an ultraconservative 5,000 to 500,000 annually, if minor procedures are counted. They may be self-employed or work for a small business and lack health insurance, for example, or their procedure may not be covered.
More than 1 in 4 workers earning at least $60,000 a year went without insurance in 2006, according to a Census Bureau survey; too well-off to be eligible for medical assistance, they can often wring tens of thousands of dollars out of hospital "rack rates" by going abroad. Some employers and big insurers like UnitedHealth and Blue Cross and Blue Shield are so intrigued by "medical tourism" that they're beginning to sniff for signs that it might be smart to cover it.
U.S. News has published the brand-new Consumer's Guide to Medical Travel, where you can learn about saving on surgery by going abroad, foreign clinics that offer unproven treatments, and plastic surgery overseas.
—January W. Payne
Reader Comments
I believe that it most important for people to educate themselves regarding vaccinations. There is no link between vaccines and autism. Janet Z I definately have sympathy with your two cousins who have autistic children (I have a friend with one.) In this instance it seems more like genetics than the vaccines they might have received.
The only way to eradicate these diseases is through proper education and not listening to just the media that tries to link autism with vaccinations.
Vaccination - Yes or No
Caitlin - I do understand the concept of vaccination and have had my share of shots. As a child I received my small pox vaccination, DPT and subsequent booster shots, and polio shots,
I have 2 cousins and each has an autistic child. 1 of them has just had a second child and has chosen not to get vaccinations for the second child. There seems to be a connection between vaccinations and a genetic mutation which causes autism. I am not a scientist or doctor and am not sure I understand it all but if it was my child I would have to look at the situation this way. Autism lasts a lifetime - childhood diseases lasts about 2 weeks.
I know there is a risk of complications with childhood diseases but I already know what has happened to 2 children.
Time will Tell
It is important to wait to see how this outbreak plays out. It certainly does not deserve the title of epidemic, even with a now uncommon disease. It is hard to draw any conclusions this early in the story, but it does speak to the need for vaccines. Once the final numbers come in, we can analyze how effective the vaccine was, but the fact that 63 people were not immunized, especially those who should have been, is striking. I respect the religious beliefs of others, but not at the loss of my own safety. If another's religious beliefs threaten the health of me or my children because they have decided modern medicine is bad for them personally, I think they lose the right to their opinion. Although this is politically incorrect, I think the research shows that vaccines are safe and effective, and so people should be forced to be vaccinated to insure the health of the greater population.
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