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Pennsylvania Medical Society Hosts Panel On Measles In Keystone State

By John McDevitt

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As concern about the recent measles outbreak grows in the United States, the Pennsylvania Medical Society hosted a four-member panel Tuesday to raise awareness that state residents, particularly those who are not vaccinated, could be vulnerable.

Measles is a potentially serious, contagious illness, but can be prevented by receiving the vaccine which is safe and effective, according to Dr. Rachel Levine, Acting Pennsylvania Physician General.

"The California-related cases really have heightened public attention and scrutiny," says Dr. Levine, "and should for us highlight the importance of the vaccination."

She says there is no medical evidence to support a link between the vaccine and autism which was once publicized in a medical journal.

"The data was falsified," Levine says. "The article was withdrawn and the author of the study has lost his medical licence."

Infectious disease specialist Dr. John Goldman was also among the panelists who say without vaccination, measles will spread.

"It's extremely contagious," Goldman says. "You can literally get measles by walking by a room where someone has had measles, and, in fact, if someone is infected by measles you can get measles from the air in that room roughly three hours after they have left."

According to the latest numbers from the Center For Disease Control, more than 100 people from 14 states were reported to have measles, including Pennsylvania, where parents can refuse a vaccination based on religion or medical reasons. CDC numbers also show the Commonwealth has an 87 percent kindergarten vaccination rate, which ranks in the bottom five in the nation.

So far, Pennsylvania's exposure to measles has been limited to a single reported case in Cumberland County.

State officials think the risk of it spreading to neighboring communities is low, because of preventative services that have been conducted, like measles vaccine clinics set up recently in that area.

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