King County sees first measles case this year in Washington

The first measles case in Washington was confirmed in King County, according to a news release from Public Health — Seattle and King County on Thursday.

Health officials said the infant could have been exposed during a recent travel abroad.

Public Health — Seattle and King County listed the public places the infant occupied:

• Apple store in Bellevue Square on Feb. 20 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Seattle Children’s Hospital Emergency Department on Sand Point Way Northeast from Feb. 21-22 from 10:30 p.m. to 2:15 a.m.
• Allegro Pediatrics in Bothell on Feb. 24 from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
• Northwest Asthma and Allergy Center in Redmond on Feb. 25 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Seattle Children’s Hospital Emergency Department on Sand Point Way Northeast on Feb. 25 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Health officials said those who were at these locations would most likely become sick between Feb. 27 and March 18. They also urged exposed people to check if they have been vaccinated against the disease.

“Measles is easily spread from person to person,” said Dr. Eric Chow, Communicable Disease Chief for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “If one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected. We are seeing increases in measles cases within and outside the US. Talk to your doctor about checking your vaccination status and get vaccinated now if you aren’t already protected.”

Unvaccinated child dies from measles in Texas

A child who wasn’t vaccinated died in a measles outbreak in rural West Texas, state officials said Wednesday, the first U.S. death from the highly contagious respiratory disease since 2015.

The school-aged child had been hospitalized and died Tuesday night amid the widespread outbreak, Texas’ largest in nearly 30 years. Since it began last month, a rash of 124 cases has erupted across nine counties.

The Texas Department of State Health Services and Lubbock health officials confirmed the death to The Associated Press. The Lubbock hospital where the child had been treated — and where most measles patients have been hospitalized during the outbreak — didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official and a vaccine critic, said Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is “watching” cases, though he did not provide specifics on how the federal agency is assisting. He dismissed Texas’ outbreak as “not unusual” during a Wednesday meeting of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet members.

“We’re following the measles epidemic every day,” Kennedy said in response to a reporter’s question about the child’s death.

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Schrier warns vaccine skepticism could lead to more deaths amid measles outbreak

However, Representative Kim Schrier, a Washington Congresswoman and former pediatrician, said the measles outbreak in Texas could have been avoided. Schrier believes it’s all connected to growing skepticism surrounding vaccines.

“This has resulted in some parents choosing not to vaccinate their children, which gives all of these highly communicable diseases a chance to get a foothold again in our country,” she said.

Schrier said she worries the debate surrounding vaccines could lead to more unnecessary deaths.

“These vaccines have been proven safe and effective, and people can have questions about any medical procedure or medication or vaccine, and that should be discussed with their pediatrician,” she shared.

The federal government is providing vaccines as well as technical and laboratory support in West Texas, but the state health department is leading the response, said Andrew Nixon, spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services.

The CDC has said it will provide only weekly updates on the measles outbreak and has not yet updated its public webpage to reflect the child’s death. Texas health department data shows that a majority of the reported measles cases are in children.

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Contributing: The Associated Press; Aaron Granillo, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest