‘This Could Go On For Weeks’: Experts Recommend Vaccine As Measles Outbreak Continues To Grow
With 47 cases confirmed in the Pacific Northwest, health experts say the solution to stopping the spread is very simple: the vaccine works and if you're not sure if you've had it, a blood test can determine if you're immune. Other news on measles comes from Michigan.
Seattle Times:
How To Avoid Measles Amid The Pacific Northwest’s Outbreak: Get Vaccinated, Health Experts Say
As a measles outbreak rages in Clark County, health care professionals advise a simple solution: Get vaccinated. “The key thing is vaccinations,” said John Lynch, an associate professor of medicine and allergy and infectious diseases at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Despite measles being declared eradicated in the United States in 2000, there have been periodic outbreaks. At least 47 people in southwest Washington’s Clark County have been infected with measles during the past couple of weeks, according to data posted on the Clark County Public Health website on Feb. 3. (Blethen, 2/3)
The Oregonian:
Vancouver-Area Measles Outbreak Grows To 47 Cases
The measles outbreak in Clark County shows no sign of letting up as public health officials Sunday announced they had identified additional cases. Officials have identified another four confirmed cases, bringing the total to 47. They said they’d also identified seven suspected cases of the disease. Public health officials said they have not identified any new locations where people may have been exposed to measles. (Crombie, 2/3)
The Oregonian:
Vancouver Boy With Measles Wasn’t Vaccinated Due To Allergies, Father Says
A 9-year-old Vancouver boy infected with measles wasn’t vaccinated because his parents feared he would have an allergic reaction, the boy’s father said this week. The case is one of 41 infections in a monthlong outbreak in the Vancouver area that has spread to Oregon. Clark County has among the lowest vaccination rates in Washington. Health officials haven’t identified the source of the outbreak or any connections between those infected. (Zarkhin, 2/1)
The Oregonian:
New Vancouver-Area Measles Case Had One Dose Of Vaccine
A child who received only one dose of the measles vaccine is the newest person diagnosed with the disease, according to a Friday update from Clark County Public Health. The first dose of the measles vaccine is 93 percent effective. Public health officer Dr. Alan Melnick said that it is fine for most people children who are not yet scheduled for the second dose, which is usually administered around the age of 5. (Harbarger, 2/1)
San Francisco Chronicle:
New Drive To End Vaccine Exemption Amid Measles Outbreak
A measles outbreak in the Portland, Ore., area has revived a bitter debate over “philosophical” exemptions to childhood vaccinations as public health officials across the Northwest scramble to limit the fallout. At least 44 people in Washington and Oregon have fallen ill in recent weeks with the extraordinarily contagious virus, which was eradicated in the U.S. in 2000 as a result of immunization but arrives periodically with overseas travelers. (Flaccus, 2/3)
Detroit Free Press:
Auto Show Attendees Might Have Been Exposed To Rubella
Lurking among the hot new cars and crowds of journalists at this year's North American International Auto Show was a potentially serious virus, state health officials warned Friday. If you attended the Detroit auto show press preview days Jan. 13-15, you may have been exposed to rubella, also known as the German measles, the state Department of Health and Human Services said. (Shamus, 2/1)
