As Massachusetts students return to classrooms and college campuses, the state is seeing a slight uptick in cases of COVID-19.
To discuss what other preventable diseases and vaccine requirements parents and students should be thinking about this fall, GBH Morning Edition Host Tori Bedford sat down with Dr. Robbie Goldstein, the commissioner of Massachusetts’ Department of Public Health. What follows is a lightly edited transcript.
Tori Bedford: School’s back in session. Weather’s getting colder. There’s a big push now for everyone to get vaccinated.
Tell us about what you’re really emphasizing that’s important for kids and parents to be thinking about and kind of what diseases we should be focusing on.
Dr. Robbie Goldstein: Well, every September, we try to refocus folks to think about vaccines for their children. That includes the routine childhood vaccines — measles, mumps, rubella; chickenpox; tetanus — and then also the seasonal respiratory virus vaccines like flu and COVID vaccines.
We know this is a really good time. Parents are thinking about getting their kids prepared to start the school year. They’re bringing them into the pediatrician’s office for that annual visit. They’re thinking about how to protect their kids as they go off to school. And vaccines should be a part of that protection.
Bedford: We’ve also seen in other parts of the country, because of federal changes to vaccine regulations, vaccine requirements in some other states are declining. We’ve been seeing cases of measles popping up, some kind of close to home. Maine reported a diagnosis earlier this month, following an outbreak in Pennsylvania.
What should people know about measles right now? How worried are you about the spread of measles throughout the country?
Goldstein: Well, let’s start here in Massachusetts. Here in Massachusetts, we have incredibly high rates of vaccination for measles. Over 95% percent of school-aged children are fully vaccinated against measles. So we have a really high level of protection here.
But we do have to recognize that across the country, we are seeing really historic numbers of measles cases in states very close to us — as you mentioned, Maine and Pennsylvania. And we know that Massachusetts is a state that a lot of people travel through and a lot of people come to. And so there is a risk that folks with measles may come through the state.
The best way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated. So if you’re in that small percentage of the population that isn’t vaccinated for measles, the best thing you can do is get yourself vaccinated or go get your children vaccinated to give them that protection.
Bedford: We’re at this strange point where the beginning of COVID was six years ago. And now a lot of people feel like that is something that— I’ve seen dialogue of people talking online about — “Oh, well, it’s not a death sentence anymore.” But it is a death sentence to a lot of immunocompromised people.
So in terms of considerations during cold and flu season, what can people do to look out for each other beyond just getting vaccinated?
Goldstein: I will say that first and foremost, getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself from this virus, certainly from the severe complications, hospitalization and potential death. But also, we learned a lot during the pandemic that there are ways that you can protect yourself that are pretty simple and easy.
If you’re not feeling well, you should probably stay home. If you have to get out of the house, if you have to go someplace in public, you can put on a mask — and that will help protect you from getting other people sick. We want people to think about going to get a test if they’re feeling unwell so they know what virus they may have and if there’s a potential treatment available for them.
Bedford: We’re at this horrible intersection now where we are concerned about illnesses that are upcoming and get worse in the fall and winter, while we’re also still under attack from mosquitoes. On Friday, Massachusetts confirmed the state’s eighth human case of West Nile.
Goldstein: Yeah, this is a hard time, right? Because the weather’s turning. People start to think, “Well, maybe my risk from mosquitoes is going away. I can go outside. I can go to the football game.” But it turns out it’s still warm enough for those mosquitoes to go around here in Massachusetts, and they’re still biting.
And we know this is really the peak time when we see mosquitoes with West Nile virus that can then transmit to humans. So even though it feels — you feel that chill in the air and you think, “Oh, there’s no risk of a mosquito” — still put on the bug repellent, put on long sleeves and long pants, still protect yourself from the potential of West Nile virus.
