(February 27, 2012 - Phoenix, AZ) Arizona lawmakers might want to take heed of Indiana's headlines where the Super Bowl is concerned, and this isn't about the economic impact of the big game. Instead news reports show the state is battling its second measles outbreak in two years, even though its vaccination rate exceeds the national average.

Health officials there say the cases, traced to a Super Bowl event, illustrate just how vulnerable the public is to exposure from sources at home and abroad with 13 confirmed cases and fears that the outbreak could spread across state lines.

Arizona pediatric health experts and a local parent are set to present Wednesday before the Arizona House Health and Human Services committee on concern over growing lack of child immunizations while infectious illness incidents rise across the country. (Arizona has a 76 percent immunization rate.)

Outbreaks of childhood infectious diseases can pose serious public health threats and cost the public hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, per incident. However, the likelihood of such incidents can be dramatically reduced with the combination of quality pediatric health care and sound public policy.

On Wednesday, February 29 at 9:00 a.m., a panel of pediatric health experts will present to the Arizona House of Representatives Health and Human Services Committee on steps that can be taken through policy to help ensure the health and wellness of infants, toddlers, pre-school and public school students statewide. The hearing will take place in room HHR 4 at the Arizona State Capitol Complex, and the hearing is OPEN TO PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.

Recent studies show the critical importance of proper vaccinations and immunizations for public school children. In one study, children exempted from vaccines were shown to be 35 times more likely to contract measles than vaccinated children (source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10404911). Another study showed that those who refused vaccines had a 23-fold higher risk for contracting whooping cough (pertussis), when compared with those receiving vaccinations (source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19482753).

Among those scheduled to present to the Committee on Wednesday are AzAAP President Dr. Arturo Gonzalez and Jennifer Tinney, Program Manager for The Arizona Partnership for Immunizations. The two will address the steps that can be taken to prevent infectious disease outbreaks through comprehensive childhood immunizations and vaccinations among infants, toddlers, preschoolers and students attending public schools. They will also illustrate the potential costs incurred by the public when incidents of infectious disease occur.

"Our first concern is always the health and well being of Arizona's children, and the best way to protect our children from infectious diseases is to be sure that they are properly immunized under the care of a qualified pediatric health professional," Dr. Gonzalez stated. "But there is a broader issue of public impact here, as well. Recent outbreaks of measles alone have cost the public in the affected areas millions of dollars for containment and patient treatment, including a 2008 case in Tucson that cost the community more than $800,000 in direct expenses, not to mention the extended indirect costs."  

"March of Dimes Arizona Chapter is concerned, because some of these childhood diseases that had been nearly eliminated by vaccines are making a comeback," Beth Mulcahy, state director of Program Services for the Arizona Chapter of March of Dimes added. "Case in point is pertussis. More than 700 cases in Arizona were reported last year; Already, 93 have been reported in 2012."  

CASE STUDIES

Recent cases of costly infectious disease outbreaks include: 

• A 2008 measles outbreak in Tucson, which resulted in 14 secondary cases. Responding to the outbreak cost two hospitals, alone, almost $800,000 just to stop the spread within their facilities. That does not take into account the cost to the Pima County Health Department, ADHS, the schools, private practitioners, other institutions and community partners. (Source: http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/04/25/infdis.jir115.abstract)

• A measles outbreak occurred in San Diego in 2008 due to an unimmunized child. There were 839 people exposed. Eleven people contracted measles, and 75 percent of these cases were individuals who had chosen not to be vaccinated. The net public health cost was estimated at $10,376 per case. Direct medical charges for the case patients and exposed infants averaged $1,347 per case. Forty-eight exposed children who were unable to be vaccinated had to be quarantined, with an average cost per family of $775. (Source: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/03/22/peds.2009-1653.full.pdf+html)

• A measles outbreak in Salt Lake City, Utah, in early 2011, resulted in nine cases, and cost the local public health department approximately $300,000, excluding indirect costs, diagnosis and treatment covered by individual insurance, and loss of income by individuals who were quarantined. (Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19482753)

PEDIATRICIAN EXPERTS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION ARE AVAILABLE STATEWIDE FOR PRINT/ON-AIR INTERVIEWS REGARDING GENERAL ISSUES, OR ISSUES SPECIFIC TO THEIR LOCALITIES.

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