Cost and Consequences of Measles Outbreaks
As measles cases rise and anti-vaccine influencers work to convince you that measles isn't that bad, let's take a look and the costs and consequences behind these outbreaks.
Do you know how much the MMR vaccine costs?
It’s just over $25 a dose (CDC cost per latest price list). More if you have private insurance. Much less on the international market.
Do you know how much it costs to contain or control a measles outbreak?
Cost and Consequences of Measles Outbreaks
Once you realize just how much it costs to contain or control a measles outbreak, it becomes very easy to see that the MMR vaccine is extremely cost effective.
“During 1988 through 1990, California experienced its worst measles epidemic in more than a decade, with 16,400 reported cases, 3,390 hospital admissions, and 75 deaths... The cost of medical care and outbreak control for the epidemic is conservatively estimated at $30.9 million. Unless the level of immunization in preschool-aged children is increased, this type of epidemic will probably recur.”
Measles epidemic from failure to immunize.
Not to mention that it can keep you out of the hospital and it saves lives!
That’s right, the consequences of measles outbreaks include:
hospitalization
ICU care
seizures
measles encephalitis
death (the last measles death in the United States was in 2019)
subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) – a late complication of natural measles infections, which is fatal.
And if you are pregnant and get sick with measles, you risk the death of your baby. Tragically, that happened during the 2013 measles outbreak in Brooklyn.
How Much Does It Cost to Contain a Measles Outbreak?
But how much does it cost to contain or control a measles outbreak?
“When outbreaks occur, human resources must be diverted from other programs and functions to respond quickly and appropriately, thereby disrupting existing health care systems.”
The True Cost of Measles Outbreaks During the Postelimination Era.
Believe it or not, once a measles outbreak really gets going, especially in a community with low vaccination rates, it takes an awful lot of work to stop it.
This involves identifying contacts, quarantining cases and contacts, and getting as many people vaccinated and protected as possible.
So how much does that cost?
“As of September 9, 2019, a total of 559 staff members at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (7% of the agency) had been involved in the measles response. The cost of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene response was $8.4 million.”
Consequences of Undervaccination - Measles Outbreak, New York City, 2018-2019
The recent measles outbreak in Brooklyn, with 649 cases, cost at least $8.4 million to contain.
Which comes out to $12,942 per measles case.
Now, considering that like most outbreaks, this one started when an unvaccinated child returned home with measles from an overseas trip, that basically means that an $8.4 million dollar outbreak would likely have been prevented with a $25 dollar MMR vaccine!
“State and key public health partners spent an estimated $2.3 million on response.”
Containing a measles outbreak in Minnesota, 2017: methods and challenges
If you really want to see the benefits of getting vaccinated, in addition to the costs for the public health response to control the measles outbreak, add in the direct medical costs and productivity losses!
“The overall societal cost of the 2019 Clark County measles outbreak was ∼$3.4 million ($47 479 per case or $814 per contact). The majority of the costs (∼$2.3 million) were incurred by the public health response to the outbreak, followed by productivity losses (∼$1.0 million) and direct medical costs (∼$76 000).”
Societal Costs of a Measles Outbreak
Of course, you should also add in the benefit of all of these folks not getting sick.
And not dying!
Who Pays to Create These Measles Outbreaks?
It’s easy to figure out who ends up paying to control these measles outbreaks, right?
We do.
What you likely didn’t realize is that you also help pay to create them!
Wait, what?
That’s right.
The most popular anti-vaccine influencers have created non-profit organizations, so that while they are pushing misinformation and propaganda about vaccines and measles, they can make and collect money without paying taxes!
And these misinformation shills are making a lot of money!
They are making money while we are the ones who end up paying the costs when too many people believe their propaganda, don’t get vaccinated, and we start seeing outbreaks of measles and other vaccine preventable diseases.
References
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Sundaram ME, Guterman LB, Omer SB. The True Cost of Measles Outbreaks During the Postelimination Era. JAMA. 2019 Mar 26;321(12):1155-1156. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.1506. Erratum in: JAMA. 2019 Jul 16;322(3):276. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.8749. PMID: 30844023; PMCID: PMC7249451.
Zucker JR, Rosen JB, Iwamoto M, Arciuolo RJ, Langdon-Embry M, Vora NM, Rakeman JL, Isaac BM, Jean A, Asfaw M, Hawkins SC, Merrill TG, Kennelly MO, Maldin Morgenthau B, Daskalakis DC, Barbot O. Consequences of Undervaccination - Measles Outbreak, New York City, 2018-2019. N Engl J Med. 2020 Mar 12;382(11):1009-1017. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1912514. PMID: 32160662.
Banerjee E, Griffith J, Kenyon C, Christianson B, Strain A, Martin K, McMahon M, Bagstad E, Laine E, Hardy K, Grilli G, Walters J, Dunn D, Roddy M, Ehresmann K. Containing a measles outbreak in Minnesota, 2017: methods and challenges. Perspect Public Health. 2020 May;140(3):162-171. doi: 10.1177/1757913919871072. Epub 2019 Sep 4. PMID: 31480896.
Pike J, Melnick A, Gastañaduy PA, Kay M, Harbison J, Leidner AJ, Rice S, Asato K, Schwartz L, DeBolt C. Societal Costs of a Measles Outbreak. Pediatrics. 2021 Apr;147(4):e2020027037. doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-027037. Epub 2021 Mar 12. PMID: 33712549; PMCID: PMC9004490.