Issaquah High School reopens Friday after measles alert

As usual at Issaquah High School on Friday, a sufficient number of teachers and staff proved they had been vaccinated against measles.

It is now a waiting game at Issaquah High School and Bothell High School in North Creek, to see if there are more cases of measles after exposure to the virus. Local health officials said the measles outbreak in western Washington could last for weeks and more cases would be forthcoming.

This occurs after a staff member is diagnosed with measles as part of a larger outbreak in Washington. This latest measles outbreak has raised concerns about vaccination in schools, but not necessarily for students, but rather for teachers and staff.

Dr. Jeff Duchin, Director of Public Health for Seattle-King County, said that while the state requires students to be vaccinated, there is no regulation for the staff of the hospital. l & # 39; school.

"No law requires staff to be vaccinated, but we strongly encourage it," he said, adding that district staff would not be vaccinated.

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Ms. Kathy Lofy, from the Washington State Department of Health, supports this assessment.

"Children attending a daycare and those attending a school are required to prove that they are immune to a number of diseases," Lofy said. "But there is currently no staff requirement in our national law."

Lofy would like legislators to work on regulations for staff.

"The school staff is part of that school environment," she said. "We also know that diseases can spread quickly in schools. So I think it's something we should consider. "

Exposure to measles in schools

Issaquah High School closed Thursday after a confirmed case of measles was reported to the school. An infected staff member spent several days at school in early May. Officials spent Thursday checking the immunization status of its staff.

The school staff member Issaquah is one of five measles cases recently screened by the Washington State Department of Health. The school said in a press release that all of its students had proof of vaccination and Thursday's check was restricted to staff.

KIRO 7 reports that anyone around high school between May 6 and 9 would have been exposed to the measles virus. To be hired by the school district, staff members must confirm the dates of any vaccination. The staff member of Issaquah High School worked there while he was infected, but did not realize he was sick.

Another case was identified as a student at North Creek High School in Bothell. Check the possible exhibition locations of this case right here.

"This school has an excellent vaccination record: 98% of high school students receive both doses of MMR," said Mark Beatty of Snohomish County Public Health.

Beatty says vaccinations of school staff are not followed.

"We expect teachers to have their vaccination cards handy, so in a situation like this, it's easy to access," he said. "But like students, if a teacher has not been vaccinated at all, they would end up being excluded."

Measles in Washington

Four of the five measles cases currently reported in Washington have been found in adults. One case was completely immune, one was not and the other three are still under investigation.

RELATED: Locations of recent exposure to West Washington measles

Two of the new cases were in King County. One of them – a student from Bothell High School – was identified in Snohomish County. Another was in Pierce County.

As of May 10, there were 839 confirmed cases of measles in the United States. The exact sources of infections in Washington are not known. However, all new cases have recently spent time at Sea-Tac Airport. Dr. Duchin says that travel is a primary factor in the spread of disease.

"Unfortunately, I'm not surprised that we are seeing measles cases in King County," Duchin said. "Measles is resurfacing nationally and globally."

"It's the comeback, we've caught a sleeping bear and measles will be circulating in the US and around the world for a while now," he said.

Given the current state of measles outbreaks, Duchin believes that people should expect more cases to come out.

"On the basis of the cases diagnosed up to today, we could see new ones appear until June 1, maybe a little later," he said.

Previous cases

In early May, health officials warned of the risk of a measles outbreak after a Canadian with the disease traveled to Seattle. The man reportedly visited several popular tourist sites in the city, as well as the Sea-Tac airport.

A multi-month epidemic in Clark County totaling 71 confirmed measles cases was officially declared at the end of April.

Symptoms of measles usually appear about seven to 21 days after the first exposure. It is contagious about four days before a rash is presented, as well as four days after it appears.

The highest risk of infection usually occurs in children under five, adults over 20, pregnant women, people who are immunocompromised by drugs or underlying diseases, and anyone who is not vaccinated against the measles virus.

Health officials urge all suspected infected persons to contact their local health care provider and not to visit a hospital or clinic without first announcing their intention to be assessed for measles.