Spots? Dots? Measles!

Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It is recognized by its characteristic rash that starts on the face and spreads down the body. Like many viral diseases, there is no treatment. Complications, although rare, can be severe, such as pneumonia, neurologic damage, blindness, even death.

Measles used to be a common childhood disease. Almost everyone caught it before the end of the teen years. Each year, about 48,000 people were hospitalized in the US for measles complications, and there were 400-500 measles deaths annually. Once you’d survived measles, you were thought to be immune for the rest of your life.

With the creation of an effective, safe vaccine, themeasles story changed for the better. The measles vaccine is administered in a combination injection along with vaccines against mumps and rubella, termed MMR. Two spaced doses of the MMR vaccine provide 97% protection against measles. Measles is now considered a preventable disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) will declare acountry or world region to be measles-free when there is no sustained, endemic transmission for at least 12 months. (Cases may still occur due to international travel). The US was declared measles-free in 2000, thanks to widespread childhood vaccination. Maintaining this status requires both a 95% vaccination rate and vigilance to quarantine new cases.

Vaccination programs worldwide are saving the lives of children everywhere. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has helped other countries strengthen vaccination programs and surveillance systems to detect outbreaks.

In 2025 in the US and around the world, the number of measles cases increased alarmingly. There were linked outbreaks of measles in Texas, Arizona, and South Carolina. The final US yearly count for 2025 was 2,267 confirmed cases. In 2024, the annual count was 285 cases.

By February 5, 2026, the CDC confirmed 773 US measles cases. That’s probably an undercount. As of January 30, the CDC had reported 467 confirmed cases in South Carolina, but state officials reported 847 cases. The trend is alarming.

Will the US lose its measles-elimination designation? Canada lost theirs in November 2025. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission for Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome (RVC) will conduct areview on April 13th this year.

To learn more about measles, please check out the Measles poster set on Healthinfo Island during February. Here is the SLURL: 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

How to Advocate for Yourself at Healthcare Appointments

YOU are in charge of your own health! It is important that you speak up, advocate for yourself and your needs. Here are some ways to do a better job of self-advocacy.

• Think of your healthcare provider’s role as an educator. They are responsible for providing information for you and making suggestions about actions you could take to achieve your goals. You DO have clear goals about your health, don’t you?
• Healthcare providers have limited time. Prioritize your goals and concerns. You may only have time to deal with your top two or three at any appointment.
• Share your values. Are you a bold risk-taker, or more conservative in your thoughts about potential treatments? This information will help your healthcare provider offer the most pertinent information.
• Be prepared to ask questions. You already know some of the questions you want to ask Write them down so you won’t forget to ask them. If the nurse or doctor says something you don’t understand, ask! It is not impolite to ask them to write down words you don’t know how to spell, so you can look up more information after you get home.
• Ask a family member or close friend to accompany you to the appointment. Their main role is to take notes on what the healthcare professional tells you. With your permission, they may be able to provide additional information about your health status to the nurse or doctor.

Displays and Exhibits for Healthinfo Island for February 2026

*February is Heart Month. Check out related exhibits!  

In Second Life, you can teleport to any of the eight displays and exhibits using the SLURLs in this notecard. Click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images. If you click each poster, you will get a private message with additional information and live links.

Central Pavilion of Healthinfo Island
Check out the calming breathing exercise on the back wall!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24

Measles
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

It's a Syndrome
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/188/181/24

*Exercise and Your Heart
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

*Preventing DVT
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

*Signs of Heart Disease That You May Not Recognize
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/98/40/26

*Things you didn't know about cholesterol
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

Tongue Talk
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/24/23/30

Spleen Specifics

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/21/63/32

Thanks to Mook for assistance with the slides this month. 

Four Quick Ways to Lower Your Utility Bills

• Shut air vents in unused rooms. Shut the blinds and close the curtains. Don’t waste money cooling or warming rooms that aren’t being used.
• Turn off all the lights and electronics in a room when they are not in use. It is estimated that the average family can save up to $50 a month just by turning off the lights when they leave a room.
• Unplug electronic devices that aren’t in daily use. Even when you aren’t actively using them, many devices are using electricity that you end up paying for.
• Use a programmable thermostat to raise (in summer) or lower (in winter) the temperature 7-8 degrees when everyone is not at home during the day. Program the thermostat to bump the temperature up or down 4 degrees when everyone is asleep.