European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 4, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Gaps in Hea in Coro system and High Cost of vaccine have try Mott efforts to eliminate measles. Measles eradication remains an elusive goal by Lawrence k. Altman new York times even years alter the government s own deadline Tor eradicating measles from the United states the goal is still unmet and the infection has proved to be such a formidable enemy hat some exports question whether in can Ever be wiped out unless new vaccination strategies Are developed measles eradication is a Long Way  said or. Waller a. Orenstein who runs the measles program Al the Federal canters Lor disease control or. Stanley a Plotkin. Chairman of the american Academy of paediatrics committee on infectious diseases said Hal eradication is a color Lul word and very Altra Clive As a Bailie  but Plotkin who works at the children s Hospital of. Philadelphia also said it is regrettable we set a goal that is unrealistic we did t realize How Conla Gibus measles could  although the Public Oden seems to Tea measles togs than doctors the vital disease can Lead to serious problems including pneumonia brain damage and other complications the goal of  by 9b2 was announced in 1978 by what was Ihen known As the department of health education and welfare Bui the  surprised scientists by. Proving to be even More contagious than previously behaved. In addition it has proved difficult o eradicate because of gaps in the Nellh care delivery system and the High cos i of he vaccine in their studies of measles epidemiologists have found. That More cases result from spread of the virus through the air than previously though susceptible children have become infected in a doctor s office an hour after a measles patient Tell doctors have also found that he virus can be spread m the few Days before someone becomes ill As Well As up to live Days alter the rash appears and to cause not everyone develops the rash cough red eyes lever and other symptoms i hat typify measles doctors have mistaken measles of other diseases die Stem said this makes in difficult for health officials to Ideal Ray the source of mos outbreaks m the United states. " the Lales outbreaks have occurred among High school and College students who As children received a vaccine rendered ineffective by heal and Light. Other outbreaks have involved pro school age. Children living in the inner cities pointing up weaknesses in. The health care delivery system. These children have not been immunized with the newer More stable vaccine officials initially assumed they could immunize about 90 percent of All american children by the age of 2,. But by current estimates they been Able to vaccinate Only Aboul 50 percent of children in poor Urban areas. The eradication program was based on a concept known As Herd immunity it holds thai the spread of a disease can be slopped by immunizing a sufficiently Large number of Susco pliable people but with measles doctors have found thai a larger proportion of the population must be immunized than they had thought. Despite impediments it Ici alg nearly reached their target of eliminating measles. Only 1,497 eases were reported in the United Stales in 19b3, a Sharp drop from 27.000 in 1978. Both totals Are dramatically lower than the 500.000 or More cases each year in the decades before a vaccine was marketed in 1963 although the 3,000 cases reported last year is above he Low. Few would argue that the $ 127 million the government has spent on immunizations since 1978 has been wasted. Without such a drive experts say the total probably would be much higher. The Only naturally occurring disease to be eradicated Iron the world is smallpox and the euphoria surrounding Ine Conquest of that viral disease in the. Late 1970s led govern men officials 16 seek to match the feat with other diseases. In focusing on measles health officials assumed thai certain key principles would Lead to eradication of that disease As with  was that because the measles virus infected humans and no animals breaking the person to person Chain would Slop transmission. Bui or. Donald a Henderson who directed the smallpox eradication program for the world health organization called Iho attempt to Dale a Public health policy failure in part because the policy of recommending a single dose of vaccine Al age 15 months is inadequate. The vaccine protects by stimulating antibodies that. Fight off he disease if recipients la or encounter the virus. -. At Sirh. However babies generally receive antibodies from their mothers that last about 15 months and the natural antibodies Block Trie vaccine s. Stimulating effects. Henderson who is now Dean of the Johns Hopkins school of Public health in Baltimore urged studies to determine whether an experimental vaccine would be More potent among younger in lands so that they could be immunized when they Are brought for routine Check ups  As an emergency measure american experts have advised  of measles vaccine in areas where outbreaks occur among pro school children Henderson and others expressed doubts thai Maas fes  eradicated irom the United slates without adopting the two dose Standard. Bui the prices of vaccines have risen sharply Over the last decade largely because of issues of liability if a child develops an Adverse reaction. Thus a two dose schedule would make measles eradication much More costly and in would not have its greatest effect for another decade or so. Even then such a schedule will not ensure eradication. Treating Chicken pox by Catherine Drangelis and Frank Oski Baltimore Sun eader s question How Long is a child contagious Wittl Chikko pox. And whal is Ifie Best Way to care Lor the ski rash Chicken pox also known As Varicella is a viol infection characterized by fever and a rash of multiple Small red bumps the bumps become thin waited water listed blisters and dry Brown crusts in about 24 hours and new crops of blisters normally conimae to appear for four to six Days a child with Chicken pox is capable of info cling other children unlit All the sores have crusted Over usually about seven Days alter the rash began. The child should be Kepi out of school or Day care for about a week. The Chicken pox rash itches and can be painful when the sores Are in the Mouth or genital area scratching the rash can cause a skin infection which May result in lifelong scars instead of temporary Marks which usually fade in six to 12 months. To reduce scratching and its danger keep lha child s fingernails Short and provide frequent Cool Baths adding Aimea to the Bath Waler Ollen reduces itching to protect the scabs Don t rub bul rather pal the child dry. Dab Calamine lotion on Iho itchy spots Aller the Bali. Another Way to reduce itching is to gently Spray tha skin with Spray starch bul be careful to avoid the eyes and nose. Call your doctor if the scabs turn from Brownlo Gold and  pus if itching interferes with sleep or Ilcho child begins to breathe rapidly .61 becomes confused. End hard to Awak Erv never treat the Ever with aspirin because it can result in Reya s syndrome a potentially Laval disease a the liver and brain. My 4 Yar old daughter has had some Small but definite development of after Tore ass a his Normal your daughter might have a condition called pro Oluic Thol Archo the growth of breast tissue1 without other signs of sexual maturity such As hair in tha pubic or armpit areas it occurs to Norma girls and should not cause concern however you should have a physician examine your daughter id make sure of the  a  . Tuesday april 4, 1389 the stars and strikes Page 17