Measles Outbreak Worsens In Washington As Governor Declares Public Health Emergency

Kenny Tucker
January 31, 2019

Dr. John Lynch at Harborview Medical Center says, "Measles is one of the most contagious viruses that we know about. if you take an unimmunized group of people and you expose them to measles, about 9 out of 10 of them will become infected".

How do you catch measles?

"We have an exquisitely contagious disease, that can be really severe and we have a prevention for it that's cheap, incredibly effective and incredibly safe", he said. The one case that visited this area in December is unrelated to the current outbreak in Washington State, according to the press release. Below that, people who can't get the shot-like newborns and individuals with deficient immune systems-are at increased risk of contracting the disease.

What does measles look like?

. A typical case of measles begins with mild to moderate fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes (conjunctivitis), and sore throat. Infected people can spread measles up to four days before they ever start having symptoms. "If you pour that bucket of rash over your head, the rash sort of cascades down", Sammons said. During the same school year, 7.5% of children in all grades in the county had vaccine exemptions. She hasn't felt comfortable leaving the house with him and worries he might be vulnerable without a vaccine.


What are symptoms of measles?

How anxious should parents be about measles?

"Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease that can be fatal in small children", Inslee said in the declaration.

Measles was a deadly disease for children in the United States before the vaccine became available in 1963.


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People who have had measles are also considered to be immune from getting the illness a second time , similar to chicken pox. It could be weeks or even months before the "exquisitely contagious" virus runs its course in Washington, according to Dr.

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But children who are immunocompromised - like those who are on steroids or who are undergoing chemotherapy, for example - are also unable to be vaccinated.

Why do some parents decide not to vaccinate?


If his bill passes, any parent who sends their children to public school will not be allowed to use a personal exemption to not vaccinate their kids.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is warning that travellers to certain parts of the US could be at risk of catching measles.

A larger than average percentage of children don't have required vaccines in Clark County, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, according to a Washington Post analysis.


It also means they can reach out to other states they need to. "They're not going to be protected".

Is it possible to contract measles if you've been vaccinated?


In B.C., an analysis of the most recent years of data available show 87.3 per cent of children turning two had received one dose of measles vaccine, and 88.4 per cent of children turning seven had received two doses, according to the centre. But, people travel, and it's an airborne disease.

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