What to know about the 2019 measles outbreak
The CDC released information confirming there are 387 reported cases of the measles already in 2019. This spans across 15 states and is the second highest number of cases in the U.S. since the year 2000.
16 of those cases were reported in California and one in Arizona.
Officials at the Yuma County Department of Public Health have confirmed that there hasn’t been a case of the measles in Yuma in at least 30 years.
However, that doesn’t mean the community is completely safe.
As seen in states like New York and Washington, it doesn’t take much for one case to become an outbreak.
Kathy Ward, a nursing supervisor at the Yuma Department of Public Health explained, “When you have one person diagnosed with measles, it’s considered an outbreak. So, that’s why you want to get as many people vaccinated as you can. That provides herd immunity for people who are too young to get vaccinated or are older and more susceptible.”
Ward stressed how anywhere there’s an outbreak, people are susceptible to getting the disease.
The measles is actually very easily transferred because it’s an airborne virus.
This means if an unvaccinated person is exposed to an environment where a measles-infected person has simply coughed or sneezed, that unvaccinated individual could contract the infection within 21 days.
Some of the symptoms are high fever, coughs, red eyes, and most noticeably, a rash that starts from your head and moves on down.
Arizona health officials have reported that the state’s low vaccination rates put Arizona at risk of having a full-blown measles outbreak.
Maria Nunez, Deputy Director at the Yuma County Department of Public Health, confirmed that 92 percent of the county has received the vaccine and urges all community members to do so.
Nunez said, “The vaccine is a very effective vaccine, so if you get vaccinated the chances are you’re not going to contract the disease.”
The Yuma County Department of Public Health reminds community members to check their immunization records. If anyone is in need of vaccinations, you can visit the health department Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11: 30 a.m. and 1 p.m to 4 p.m.
