Los Angeles County reported another measles case involving residents or travelers this week, prompting officials to renew calls from all residents to ensure they are up to date on vaccinations.
According to the county’s Department of Public Health, the fourth most recent case involved a visitor who recently arrived in Los Angeles County from another country.
Health officials say measles patients are not contagious when traveling, but some may have been exposed to the virus in medical facilities. Officials did not identify specific locations, but said the healthcare facility was directly in contact with potential exposure to patients and staff.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, and it can easily spread on the surface and in the air – even if patients leave the room, it remains contagious for hours.
Symptoms of measles include high fever above 101 degrees, cough, runny nose, red eyes and rashes, which usually start from the face and spread to the rest of the body.
“As Los Angeles County residents start traveling this summer, with the number of measles cases rising among those traveling recently, we remind everyone that the best way to protect themselves and their families from infection is to use an efficient measles vaccine,” County health official Dr. Muntu Davis said in a statement Tuesday.
Health officials generally recommend babies receive their first measles vaccination at 12 to 15 months of age, followed by a second dose between 4 and 6 years of age.
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six-month-old babies should receive the measles vaccine before international travel and then receive two more doses after their first birthday.
Health officials said the vaccine has two doses of the measles vaccine for a period of 97%.
Although children can get medical exemptions, measles vaccines are still required as admission conditions for California schools, at 1 year old, at 1 year old, at child care centers. State law allows parents to skip immunization for children who participate in independent learning programs and do not receive classroom teaching.
Before obtaining the measles vaccine in 1963, the disease estimated that between 400 and 500 deaths per year, as well as 48,000 hospitalized cases, of which 1,000 suffered from brain swelling, the CDC said.
Two Los Angeles County residents have tested positive for measles this year — one recently returned from Texas, which was a fatal measles outbreak and the other flying around from Taiwan. A Fela County resident also tested positive after flying from South Korea.
CDC data shows that the United States is in its worst year for the previous generation of measles, with 935 cases reported nationwide this year. About 38% of patients are 5 to 19 years old, while 30% are 4 years old and below.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 96% of patients with measles infection are unvaccinated or unknown vaccinated status.
The latest measles case count is the second highest in 25 years, eclipsed by only 1,274 cases reported throughout 2019.
Three confirmed measles deaths have been reported – two deaths in uninoculated school-age children in Texas without potential medical conditions and two in one uninoculated adult in New Mexico, according to the CDC's morbidity and mortality weekly report.
Los Angeles County officials advise residents to contact their health care provider as soon as possible and they may experience measles exposure if they are pregnant or have weak immune systems regardless of their immune history. If the exposed person is an infant or unvaccinated, contact the health care provider as well.
“If symptoms appear, stay at home and avoid school, work and any large gatherings,” the county said in a statement. “Don't go to a medical facility until you call them and make them aware of the exposure and symptoms of measles.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people can start spreading measles to others from the onset of the disease’s Telltale rash to four days later. People who fail to immunize measles by vaccination or prior infection are at risk of becoming ill 7 to 21 days after exposure.
