First measles case since 2020 confirmed in Massachusetts
Case linked to international travel, health officials say
Updated: 10:33 AM EDT Jul 18, 2024
THE GLOBAL MEASLES WARNING. HOSPITALS HERE SAY THEY ARE ON HIGH ALERT FOR EARLY SIGNS OF AN OUTBREAK. AND HERE TO EXPLAIN IS DOCTOR KRISTEN MOFFAT, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. DOCTOR, IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU. YOU KNOW THAT. IT’S A BIT WEIRD TO SAY MEASLES. IT’S ONLY 2024. BTW, THE CDC ALSO ISSUED A NATIONAL WARNING THIS WEEK. HOW DOES IT CHANGE FOR YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES IN THE ER? YEAH, I MEAN, INSIDE OUR DOORS, IT DOESN’T CHANGE TOO MUCH, BECAUSE AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, RASH AND FEVER, TWO OF THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS OF MEASLES, ARE ALSO JUST VERY, VERY COMMON PEDIATRIC SYMPTOMS IN GENERAL. AND WE CARE FOR A LOT OF CHILDREN WHO ARE TOO YOUNG TO BE IMMUNIZED OR WHO ARE IMMUNO-CAPROMIZED. SO WE’VE HAD TO BE TAKING PRECAUTIONS FOR A LONG TIME TO PROTECT THESE PERSONS. SO THIS MEANS THAT WE’RE STILL FOLLOWING ALL OF OUR INFECTION PREVENTION PRACTICES, AND TRYING TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF MEASLES, AND THAT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT THAT WE PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THESE BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL HEALTH WARNINGS SO THAT WE CAN BE EVEN BETTER PREPARED FOR ANY CHILD THAT MAY WALK THROUGH OUR DOORS WITH MEASLES. SO, DOCTOR, IF A CHILD GOES TO A SCHOOL WITH MEASLES, PLEASE READ THIS. WHAT HAPPENS THEN? YES. SO WE OFTEN DON’T KNOW THEY HAVE MEASLES. RIGHT AWAY. OR MAYBE WE DO. MAYBE THEY’VE ALREADY BEEN EVALUATED OVER THE PHONE OR VIDEO. UH, EVALUATION WITH THEIR DOCTOR. AND MEASLES IS ALREADY A MAJOR CONCERN. UH, BUT REALLY, WE WOULD INVITE ANY CHILD WITH A RASH, A FEVER, AND POSSIBLY OTHER OBSERVATIONS TO BE ISOLATED IMMEDIATELY. WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT ALL STAFF HANDLING THEM WEAR AN N95 SIGNALS AND THEN WE WOULD TRY TO GET EVEN MORE INFORMATION AND KEY PARTS OF THAT EVALUATION WOULD INCLUDE THEIR VACCINATION STATUS. UH, NON-IMMUNIZATE OR UNDER-IMMUNIZATE PERSONS, OR CERTAINLY THE ONES THAT WE WOULD BE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT, AND WE WOULD TAKE A TRAVEL HISTORY TO SEE IF THEY HAVE BEEN OVER A PLACE WHERE WE KNOW MEASLES IS SPREADING, IT CAN TAKE A LONG TIME FOR THE CONFIRMATIVE TESTS FOR MEASLES TO COME BACK. SO WE WOULD INVOLVE OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT QUITE EARLY IF WE HAD A HIGH CLINICAL SUSPICION OF MEASLES, BECAUSE IT’S VERY EARLY TO START THAT CONTACT FOLLOW-UP. MEASLES IS MOST CONTAGIOUS IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE RASH EVEN APPEARS. SO THERE ARE MANY STEPS IN THAT PROCESS THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED RIGHT AWAY. AND DONE. AND DOCTOR MOFFAT, AS YOU KNOW, THE ONLY AGE GROUP THAT DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE MEASLES VACCINE IS BABIES UNDER SIX MONTHS. RIGHT? CORRECT. YES. SO, SO WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR PARENTS WHO HAVE BABIES UNDER SIX MONTHS? YES. AND HONESTLY, BABIES ARE NOT IMMUNIZED AGAINST MEASLES UNTIL THEY ARE 12 MONTHS AT THE MOST. IT IS TO IMMUNIZE THEM AT SIX MONTHS. BUT MOST OF THEM DON’T START UNTIL 12 MONTHS. SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT PARENTS, ESPECIALLY IF THE MEASLES WERE GOING AROUND OR THERE HAVE BEEN CASES HERE, WOULD BE CONCERNED. THE FIRST THING THEY CAN DO IS TO BUILD A COCOON FOR THEIR OWN BABY, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AND THAT MEANS DOING THEIR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WHO SPENDS TIME WITH THEIR BABY IS FULLY IMMUNIZED, AND THAT STARTS IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD. IF THEIR CHILD IS GOING TO A GROUP CARE CENTER OR A DAY CENTER, IT IS PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE TO CONSULT WITH THAT CENTER AS TO THEIR OWN IMMUNIZATION POLICY FOR THEIR STAFF AND FOR OTHER CHILDREN. IT IS ALSO PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE TO ASK THEM HOW A FAMILY WOULD BE INFORMED IF THERE WAS A POSSIBLE EXPOSURE TO MEASLES IN THAT SETTING. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INTERVENTIONS THAT CAN BE OFFERED IF A CHILD IS EXPOSED. SO IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT A CENTER WHERE BABIES CAN SPEND THEIR TIME, UH, DOES EVERYTHING POSSIBLE AND USES EVERY INFORMATION POSSIBLE TO KEEP THOSE CHILDREN HEALTHY, ESPECIALLY IF THEY’RE TOO YOUNG TO GET IMMUNIZED THEMSELVES. A GOOD REMINDER, AN IMPORTANT REMINDER J
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday that an adult Worcester County resident who recently traveled internationally was diagnosed with measles this month. It is the first confirmed case of measles in a Massachusetts resident since early 2020. People who may have been exposed to measles from this case have already been contacted and given appropriate public health recommendations, officials said. “Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease that has increased worldwide, including here in the United States and in neighboring New England states,” said Dr. Robbie Goldstein, the state health commissioner. Since early last year, measles cases have been reported in 30 states, primarily in people and communities who are unvaccinated, officials said. As of July 11, a total of 167 cases of measles have been reported in 24 jurisdictions across the United States in 2024, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status (84 percent), 11 percent had received one dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and 5 percent had received two doses. Nearly half of all reported cases (46 percent) were under the age of 5. Of the reported cases, 53 percent were hospitalized. Large measles outbreaks are currently occurring in Europe and elsewhere internationally. Many of the cases reported in the United States are associated with recent travel. Last month, DPH warned residents of a possible measles exposure associated with an international visitor who traveled to Amsterdam via Boston while infectious. DPH urges anyone who does not know their measles vaccination status to contact their health care provider to be vaccinated with at least one dose of the MMR vaccine. Health care providers who suspect measles should immediately call DPH at 617-983-6800 for recommendations and testing guidelines. Healthcare providers in Boston should call the Boston Public Health Commission at 617-534-5611.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday that an adult Worcester County resident who recently traveled internationally was diagnosed with measles this month.
It is the first confirmed case of measles in a Massachusetts resident since early 2020.
People who may have been exposed to measles from this case have already been contacted and given appropriate public health recommendations, officials said.
“Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease that is increasing worldwide, including here in the United States and in neighboring New England states,” said Commissioner of Public Health Dr. Robbie Goldstein.
Since the beginning of last year, measles cases have been reported in 30 states, mostly in people and communities who are not vaccinated, officials said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of 167 cases of measles have been reported in 24 jurisdictions in the United States as of July 11, 2024.
The majority were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status (84 percent), 11 percent had one dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and 5 percent had two doses. Nearly half of all reported cases (46 percent) were under 5 years of age. Of the reported cases, 53 percent had been hospitalized.
Major outbreaks of measles are currently occurring in Europe and elsewhere in the world.
Many of the cases reported in the United States have been linked to recent travel. Last month, DPH warned residents about a possible measles exposure linked to an international visitor who traveled to Amsterdam via Boston while contagious.
DPH urges anyone who does not know whether they have been vaccinated against measles to contact their health care provider to be vaccinated with at least one dose of the MMR vaccine.
Health care providers who suspect measles should immediately call DPH at 617-983-6800 for recommendations and testing guidelines. Health care providers in Boston should call the Boston Public Health Commission at 617-534-5611.