King County Health Official: ‘Measles is having a field day’

Public health officials in King County are closely monitoring measles cases in Washington, emphasizing the importance of vaccination amid rising concerns globally, saying the disease is “having a field day” in other parts of the country.

There have been five confirmed measles cases in Washington so far this year. The latest case involved an infant in King County who had traveled internationally.

“When we take these numbers in context of the national situation with measles and globally, absolutely, there are concerns,” said Debra Berliner, a program manager in the immunization branch at Public Health—Seattle and King County.

Locally, an outbreak has not been declared, as cases have primarily been linked to international travel rather than community spread, Berliner said. She added that the majority of King County residents are vaccinated, which helps prevent widespread transmission.

Despite no outbreak here, we need to ‘stay on guard’

“But we have to stay on guard because, as we’re seeing across the nation, measles is on a rager. Measles is having a field day,” Berliner said.

Berliner attributed the rise in measles cases to declining vaccination rates following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Access to vaccinations declined globally during the pandemic, and lots of children fell behind, and that caused more outbreaks on nearly every continent,” Berliner said. “Similarly, here in the United States, the pandemic led to declining vaccination rates for routine vaccine-preventable diseases like measles.”

With lower vaccination rates, measles has more opportunities to spread, she said, pointing to recent outbreaks in states like Texas and New Mexico.

“If you’re measles, things are really looking up for you right now,” Berliner said. “That’s why it’s so important that we continue to stay up to date on vaccination rates here in King County and elsewhere.”

While some cases in Washington have involved infants, Berliner said there have also been adult cases, including one in a vaccinated traveler whose risk of spreading the disease was low. She said cases in vaccinated people are rare.

She encouraged people traveling internationally to check for current measles outbreaks on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization websites. Officials say people traveling domestically should do the same, especially if they visiting areas experiencing potential outbreaks.

“We recommend that anybody traveling abroad have two doses of MMR vaccine if they’re eligible prior to travel,” Berliner said. “When you are traveling internationally, often you’re in crowded places like airports and other transit hubs where you might encounter people from all over the world. And so, measles exposure is always a possibility, even if your final destination is a place where measles is not endemic.”

For most people, two doses of the MMR vaccine provide lifelong immunity, Berliner said. Those born before 1989 who only received one dose should get an additional dose before traveling internationally.

“If you were born in the ’90s or later and you had two doses as a child, you don’t need any additional doses,” she said.

Children typically receive their first MMR dose between 12 and 15 months, followed by a second dose before kindergarten at age 4 to 6, Berliner said. Infants between 6 and 11 months who will be traveling internationally should receive an early dose to provide some protection abroad.

“That early dose can give them some protection while they’re abroad,” she said. “We also recommend that anybody ages 12 months and older get two doses spaced 28 days apart before traveling abroad.”

Berliner urged parents to plan ahead and ensure vaccinations are up to date at least two weeks before departure.

“It your body some time to develop an immune response,” she said.

Tips for traveling with infants

But what about traveling with a baby who is six months old or younger?

“If you do travel, certainly making sure that everyone else in your party is vaccinated and everyone on the destination side that you’re going to visit is vaccinated,” Berliner said. “Wearing masks when you travel, using good hand hygiene, washing your hands if you are able to,” she said. She added that “there is always risk.”

She emphasized the importance of vaccination, calling the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine “remarkably effective.”

“Two doses of MMR vaccine prevent infection in about 97% of people. And that protection usually lasts a lifetime,” Berliner said.

The United States has considered measles eliminated for the past 25 years, meaning there has been no routine transmission.

“We really, really want to keep that status,” Berliner said. “And we can do that because we have an outstanding vaccine.”

Asked how close the U.S. was to losing measles elimination status, Berliner said she did not want to take the risk.

“I strongly recommend that if you have not been vaccinated, you go out and go to your pharmacy today, go to your doctor,” she said.

She encouraged people to visit go here to locate vaccination clinics.

“It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s relatively painless and—compared certainly to getting a measles infection—it can make a tremendous amount of difference not only for your personal health, but for your whole community,” Berliner said.

King County health officials point out that people born before 1957 are typically considered immune to measles. They say measles was so common before the measles vaccine was available that it is assumed everyone alive before 1957 already had measles.

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