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Washington is under emergency state after a statewide measles outbreak – with 35 confirmed cases and nine suspected cases. The epidemic has officially reached King County.
Public health officials in Seattle determined on January 23 that a man in his 50s had contracted the disease with a red rash. Officials said that it was not clear where the man had contracted the infection. He recently traveled to Vancouver, Washington State, where the outbreak apparently began.
Governor Jay Inslee said the state of emergency Friday, January 25 in response to the growing number of confirmed cases of measles in that state.
"Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease that can be fatal in small children," Inslee said in its January 25 proclamation. "The existence of 26 confirmed cases in the state of Washington creates an extreme risk to public health that can quickly spread to other counties."
Inslee's announcement calls on state departments to use state resources and badist areas affected by the spread of the virus, which means that the Pact for Managing Situations urgent – a mutual aid agreement between states – is available.
The Centers for Disease Control reports that 349 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 26 states and in the District of Columbia in 2018, making it the second largest number of annual cases reported since measles was eliminated in the United States. United in 2000.
How does it spread
Measles spreads when a contagious person breathes, coughs or sneezes and can be contracted just by being in a room where someone has been infected with measles, public health officials in Seattle and County King. The virus is contagious before anyone can tell they have contracted measles and can live in the air for two hours after the infected person leaves.
The Health Departments of King and Clark counties have posted lists of places where people who have confirmed the presence of the disease have surrendered when they are presumed to be contagious. Officials are pressuring everyone to check their vaccination status, knowing that it is highly likely that any unimmunized person will contract measles when she is exposed to the virus.
"Really contagious diseases can easily spread among pockets of unvaccinated people," said Danielle Koenig, head of health promotion for immunization in the state's Department of Health. "These diseases can spread in communities and spread."
In Vancouver, 24 of the confirmed measles cases are under 10 years old and nine more are between 11 and 18 years old. Only one is over 18 years old.
Thirty of these students are confirmed as not being immunized, according to the Department of Health. The other four were not checked on Sunday.
Some people can not vaccinate for medical or allergy reasons, said Koenig. Others who have been vaccinated simply have an immune system that does not respond successfully to the two-dose vaccine.
The most at risk are young children – unable to vaccinate before reaching their first birthday – and pregnant women. But, says Koenig, measles can be serious and even deadly for anyone.
Washington had trouble getting a guarantee, namely "collective immunity". About 95% of people should be vaccinated to reach the number of people immunized, which would enhance the protection of those who can not vaccinate by eliminating the risk that those around them contract the virus. disease.
"These people depend on everyone around to get vaccinated … When people start choosing not to vaccinate when they can, protection falls," said Koenig.
Unvaccinated cohorts
Health officials said unvaccinated student groups in schools may be at increased risk of spreading preventable diseases. A review of immunization exemption data shows that schools in King County host some clusters.
The School Eastside Community School in Bellevue, formerly the Waldorf Three Cedar School, has 33.6% of students exempt from vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella. According to the data, about 42% of immunization exemptions granted to the school are for personal reasons.
"Our community is very committed to natural health, to all anthroposophic philosophy," said Ivan Gorne, principal administrator of the school at Eastside. "It's all about raising the child and helping him become what he's rather than trying to turn him into something else."
He said that the parents of his school, being independent, often adopted a more natural lifestyle and respectful of the environment. "And people are in a way attracted by a very thoughtful attitude to their health care."
Bellevue Community School is just one of the many high-rate schools of parents who give up MMR for their students. At Seattle's Living Wisdom School, a private K-5 facility, 43.5% of students are exempt from MMR vaccination.
At Overcomer Academy, a private Christian school located in the federal Way Way-Auburn region, 38.8% of students chose not to receive the MMR vaccine. In both institutions, the majority of exemptions were cited for personal reasons.
Vaccination conditions
Washington, similar to Oregon, allows parents to dispense their children from immunization before entering school. Parents may withdraw for personal, medical or religious reasons. A form, which must be transformed into a student's school, must be signed by a health care provider prior to granting the exemption.
The doctor will usually discuss the risks and benefits with the parents before signing the form, said Koenig. And the process is similar for those attending private schools.
The two sides of the exemption certificate form are as follows: "The diseases that vaccines can protect against still exist and can spread quickly in schools and daycares. Vaccination is one of the best ways to protect people against infection and the spread of diseases that can lead to serious illness, disability or death. "
In California, new exemptions from personal and religious beliefs have been banned in this state as of January 2016. California children must undergo polio, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP), measles, mumps, and mumps. rubella, hepatitis B and chickenpox. (chicken pox) before going to kindergarten.
Vaccine exemptions for medical reasons are still allowed.
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