Portland’s Measles Outbreak Could Impact School-Age Children

Multnomah County Oregon health officials have confirmed a case of measles in a person who visited a local hospital emergency room and spent time in a Gresham child care center in late June.

Multnomah County Health Department officials have been working closely with Adventist Health-Portland, the childcare center, and others to notify approximately 500 people who were in the same locations as the affected person.

Additionally, the Health Department is monitoring the health status of about 40 individuals who were exposed to measles and are considered non-immune.

This means these 40 individuals were not appropriately vaccinated.

Measles poses the highest risk to pregnant women, infants under 12 months and people with weakened immune systems.

Dr. Jennifer Vines, Multnomah County Deputy Health Officer said in a press release, “When we see measles today, it is rare and usually the result of a person who was unknowingly infected while traveling outside the United States.”

But, Dr. Vines may not appreciate the measles risk to Oregon school-age children

An analysis on July 2, 2018, by The Oregonian/OregonLive, shows that nearly 65 percent of the state's public charter schools lack what scientists call herd immunity against measles. Those charter schools serve nearly 13,000 students across Oregon.

This means not enough children are immunized to prevent measles from sweeping through their immediate community.

Additionally, a much smaller percentage of 60,000 students attending public schools fall into the same category, but they have more students, so the potential exposure is greater. 

Dr. Paul Cieslak, medical director of the infectious disease and immunization programs at the Oregon Public Health Division said to the OregonLIve, "If you drop a case of measles into one of those schools, it would spread like wildfire.”

“So far, we've been lucky."

For this measles exposure, public health officials expect symptoms in anyone newly infected to appear by mid-July at the latest.

A person is considered immune to measles if any of the following apply:

• You were born before 1957 or;
• You are certain you have had the measles or;
• You have been fully vaccinated for measles (two doses).

Multnomah County Health Department is advising anyone who has been exposed and believes they have symptoms of measles to first call their healthcare provider or urgent care by telephone to avoid exposing others in waiting rooms.

“Because measles is so contagious, high levels of immunity in the community are needed to prevent its spread,” says Dr. Vines.

“Now is a very good time to make sure you and your children have been vaccinated against measles, especially if you are planning to travel this summer.”

Anyone with questions about measles infection or the measles vaccine should call their primary care provider or their local county health department.

• Multnomah County Public Health 503-988-3406
• Clackamas County Public Health 503-655-8411
• Clark County Public Health 360-397-8182

Measles can be prevented with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which has been found to be very safe and effective.

Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the USA, 2 measles vaccines (MMR-II and ProQuad) are available at most pharmacies.

The CDC Vaccine Price List provides the private sector vaccine prices for general information, and vaccine discounts can be found here.

Vaccines like any medicine, can have side effects, says the CDC. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the FDA or CDC.