Measles Outbreak Information

Measles is a viral respiratory illness with symptoms that typically appear seven to 14 days after contact with the virus. Typical symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. A rash starts on the face three to five days after the first symptoms and spreads to other parts of the body.

A person with measles can spread the infection up to four days before their rash starts through four days after it starts. Measles spreads quickly through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The measles virus stays in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left the room. If one person has measles, up to nine out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not immune. Because it is so contagious, people should stay home and contact their healthcare provider if they suspect they have measles. Your doctor or clinic will let you know if you need to come in for a visit.

Measles can be dangerous and cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than five years of age. Anyone who is not vaccinated is much more likely to get measles. One out of five unvaccinated people who get measles will be hospitalized. One out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, the most common cause of death from measles in young children. About one child out of every 1,000 who contracts measles will develop encephalitis (swelling of the brain) that can lead to convulsions and can leave the child deaf or with intellectual disability. For every 1,000 children who contract measles, one or two will die from it.

Check your vaccine records. Use the Check Your Immunity tool. You are unlikely to get measles if you have gotten the MMR vaccine or have other evidence of immunity. If you are immune, monitor for symptoms of measles for 21 days. If you are not immune, call your health care provider or the health department and inform them of your exposure. You will need to stay home for 21 days after exposure to monitor for symptoms of measles.

Children:

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the safest and best protection against measles. Children should get two doses of the MMR vaccine, one between 12 and 15 months of age, and another when aged 4 to 5, before they enter Kindergarten.

Adults:

Adults should have at least one dose of a measles-containing vaccine.  Two doses are recommended for adults in high-risk settings, like attending a post-high school educational institution, working in healthcare, or traveling internationally.

Adults born before 1957 are presumed to be immune to measles because they lived through several years of measles epidemics before a vaccine was available and were more likely to be exposed to measles. If these adults are uncertain about past exposure to measles, they should talk with their healthcare provider about their risk factors for measles and the possibility of a blood test to look for evidence of immunity or proceeding with getting the vaccine.

Those Traveling Internationally:

Measles cases in the United States typically occur when unvaccinated or under-vaccinated United States residents travel internationally and then spread the infection to others who are not vaccinated. People traveling outside the US, or to an area of the US experiencing a measles outbreak, should be fully vaccinated against measles or have other proof of immunity at least two weeks prior to travel.

Infants six to 11 months of age who will be traveling to areas with ongoing community transmission should consider early vaccination with one dose of the MMR vaccine. One dose of MMR vaccine is about 93% effective at preventing measles. Two doses are about 97% effective.

Talk to your healthcare provider or call 919-989-5200 and make an appointment in the Epidemiology Immunization Clinic at the Johnston County Public Health Department at 517 N. Brightleaf Boulevard in Smithfield, North Carolina.