SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Health officials are warning about a possible measles exposure in Spokane County last week.
On Tuesday, Spokane Regional Health District confirmed a person living in Kootenai County tested positive for measles infection.
SRHD said people in Spokane County might have been exposed by coming into contact with the infected person.
Before receiving the diagnosis, the infected person was in the following public places. Anyone who was at those places during the listed times might have been exposed to measles:
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 11:14 a.m.-5:27 p.m., Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric and Adult Emergency DepartmentsWednesday, Aug. 13, 6:02 p.m.-12:54 a.m., Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric and Adult Emergency DepartmentsFriday, Aug. 15, 9:30 a.m.-8:27 p.m., Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric Oncology & Hematology Specialty Clinic
“The people that were here, we actually pulled the list and we are reaching out to them to let them know personally, one-on-one what to do,” said Mike Barsotti of Providence.
SRHD said most people are immune to measles through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low. However, SRHD is advising people to check their own and their children’s vaccination status to make sure they are up-to-date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
“Measures can be taken to prevent this disease,” said Dr. Francisco Velázquez, SRHD health officer. “Measles is a serious contagious disease, and the message is absolutely critical that if you or your child is not vaccinated, you need to get vaccinated.”
SRHD said we can most likely expect to see more measles cases popping up in our area.
“We’re probably going to have additional cases, and some of those cases may be in Washington state,” said SRHD’s Mark Springer.
SRHD said it is making sure health care providers are stocked up on medication to treat high risk individuals and are able to get confirmation measles testing done as soon as possible.
“We’ve had children die of this,” Springer said. “That’s why we want to get people thinking about getting up-to-date on their MMR vaccine.”
If a person is experiencing measles symptoms (high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, rash) and believes they might have been exposed, they should contact their healthcare provider as soon as possible.
For more information on measles and how to stay safe, visit www.srhd.org.
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