Flight Attendant With Measles Dies of Meningoencephalitis
Published August 14, 2019 | Health, Inflammation
A flight attendant with Israel’s El Al airlines was believed to have
contracted measles on a flight from John F. Kennedy International
Airport in New York to Tel Aviv on Mar. 26, 2019. Rotem Amitai, 43,
developed a fever on Mar. 31 and was admitted to Meir Medical Center
near Tel Aviv that same day. She had trouble breathing and was
transferred to the hospital’s intensive care unit where she was placed
on a respirator. Amitai fell into a coma the following week and
reportedly remained
unconscious for five months until she died on Aug. 13.1 2 3 4 5 6
Amitai was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis—inflammation of the brain and meninges, which are the layers of thin tissue that surround the brain and the spinal cord. It has been reported that Amitai had been given one dose of measles vaccine as a child during the 1980s.5 7 8 9 10 11
The one measles vaccination recommendation was based on the mistaken belief that one dose of live attenuated measles vaccine would reliably block infection with the wild measles virus and provide “life-long protection” against the disease. That turned out not to be true.12 In 1989 after measles outbreaks in the U.S. and around the world, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) added a second dose of measles vaccine to the childhood vaccine schedule using the combination MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, which had been licensed for use in the United States since 1971.13
According to The Times of Israel, “Blood tests revealed that [Amitai] had been vaccinated with only one shot against measles instead of the two inoculations recommended for her age group. Consequently, El Al instructed all flight attendants at the time to get measles shots.”11
It is unclear if Amitai was given a second or perhaps even a third dose of the measles vaccine after she was diagnosed with measles, notably when she was admitted to the hospital. While meningoencephalitis is a complication associated with the measles virus, it has also been linked to the MMR vaccine, which is a live attenuated (weakened) virus vaccine.14 15 16 17 18
In April, Israel’s Health Ministry ordered all El Al crew members to receive measles vaccinations. A Health Ministry directive stated, “Due to the continued spread of measles and the exposure of air crews, we recommend that all your workers be vaccinated. Make sure that your workers receive two inoculations and place a special emphasis on the air crews that come into contact with travelers.”19
El Al set up a clinic at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to administer the vaccinations.20
(photo source: family photo)
References:
unconscious for five months until she died on Aug. 13.1 2 3 4 5 6
Amitai was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis—inflammation of the brain and meninges, which are the layers of thin tissue that surround the brain and the spinal cord. It has been reported that Amitai had been given one dose of measles vaccine as a child during the 1980s.5 7 8 9 10 11
The one measles vaccination recommendation was based on the mistaken belief that one dose of live attenuated measles vaccine would reliably block infection with the wild measles virus and provide “life-long protection” against the disease. That turned out not to be true.12 In 1989 after measles outbreaks in the U.S. and around the world, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) added a second dose of measles vaccine to the childhood vaccine schedule using the combination MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, which had been licensed for use in the United States since 1971.13
According to The Times of Israel, “Blood tests revealed that [Amitai] had been vaccinated with only one shot against measles instead of the two inoculations recommended for her age group. Consequently, El Al instructed all flight attendants at the time to get measles shots.”11
It is unclear if Amitai was given a second or perhaps even a third dose of the measles vaccine after she was diagnosed with measles, notably when she was admitted to the hospital. While meningoencephalitis is a complication associated with the measles virus, it has also been linked to the MMR vaccine, which is a live attenuated (weakened) virus vaccine.14 15 16 17 18
In April, Israel’s Health Ministry ordered all El Al crew members to receive measles vaccinations. A Health Ministry directive stated, “Due to the continued spread of measles and the exposure of air crews, we recommend that all your workers be vaccinated. Make sure that your workers receive two inoculations and place a special emphasis on the air crews that come into contact with travelers.”19
El Al set up a clinic at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to administer the vaccinations.20
(photo source: family photo)
References:
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