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Here is a brief history of measles, with information provided by the Centers for Disease Control.
Statesman Journal

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that it was reducing the number of measles cases in the state of 2019 twice, saying that additional tests had shown that children who had suspected measles did not do it.

The children – one in Oakland County and another in Washtenaw County – had both been tested positive for measles. But they had also recently been vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella as a result of possible exposure to the virus.

The MMR vaccine contains a weak live virus that can not cause measles but can lead to positive laboratory tests, according to the MDHHS. The children's symptoms and the initial test results classified them as measles cases, but the agency followed the protocol from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and performed additional genotypic tests.

The growing measles epidemic has led parents to ask: Is my child protected? (Photo: Getty Images)

This genotype test showed that children do not have measles. The remaining 39 cases in Michigan were also genotyped and confirmed.

MMR vaccine can sometimes cause mild rash and fever. According to health officials, this is a vaccine reaction, not measles, and people who have been immunized are not contagious after vaccination.

Following the first positive test results, the local health services took steps to limit the spread of measles and alerted the public to additional exposure sites. The following sites are no longer considered as exhibition sites:

  • Jewish Community Center Ann Arbor
  • Olive Garden Restaurant in Ann Arbor
  • Liberty Athletic Club in Ann Arbor
  • Beaumont Royal Oak Emergency Department
  • Green Garden Child Development Center

According to public health officials, the vaccine is an effective and safe way to protect the population from measles infections. A single dose of MMR vaccine protects about 95% of children, but after two doses, almost 100% of them are immunized, according to the MDHHS.

After possible exposure to measles, local health departments offer post-exposure protection with MMR vaccine to people who have not received two documented doses. For potentially exposed individuals who can not receive the MMR vaccine, such as pregnant women, infants and people with certain immune system disorders, immunoglobulin (IG), a blood product, can provide effective protection short term by providing people with the necessary antibodies to fight measles.

The MMR vaccine is usually given for the first time to children aged 12 to 15 months. A second dose of vaccine is given before the beginning of kindergarten, between 4 and 6 years old. MDHHS follows CDC guidelines and does not recommend routine immunization against measles in children younger than 12 months, unless an international trip is planned or if there is suspicion of actual or suspected imminent exposure to measles. measles, for example in areas of known measles.

More: To prevent measles from spreading, Birmingham school asks unvaccinated children not to come to class

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For international travel, infants under 6 months old should be vaccinated against measles. The MMR vaccine, or any other acceptable document on immunity against measles, is recommended for anyone traveling abroad.

Anyone who has not yet received the MMR vaccine in Michigan is advised to contact a doctor or visit a local health unit for vaccination. To find a health service near you, visit: https://www.malph.org/resources/directory.

Even after reducing the number of measles cases in 2019 to 201, it remains the largest measles outbreak in Michigan since 1991, when 65 cases were reported. So far this year in the United States, 465 cases of measles have been confirmed in 19 states.

Measles is a highly contagious and preventable disease through vaccination that is spread through direct contact from person to person and by air. The virus can live up to two hours in the air where the infected person was present.

The symptoms of measles usually begin 7 to 14 days after exposure, but may appear until 21 days after exposure. They can include:

  • High fever
  • Cough
  • Runny nose
  • Red and watery eyes (conjunctivitis)
  • Small white patches on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth, called Koplik spots, which appear 2 to 3 days after the onset of symptoms
  • A rash that is red, raised, stained; usually starts on the face, extends to the trunk, arms and legs 3 to 5 days after the onset of symptoms

If symptoms occur, call your doctor or emergency department before going there so that they can take precautions to avoid exposing others.

Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus at 313-222-5997 or at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ Kristenshamus.

Read or share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/04/12/washtenaw-oakland-county-measles-michigan-outbreak/3445578002/