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HEALTH - California public health officials are closely monitoring two residents who recently tested positive for measles. Officials are on high alert given ongoing measles outbreaks in Texas, New Mexico and abroad.
The Los Angeles and Fresno public health departments each disclosed a case on Tuesday. In both cases, the infected individuals had traveled internationally, officials said. So far this year, the California Department of Public Health has confirmed a total of five cases. No deaths have been reported here. Nationally, more than 250 cases have been confirmed, the vast majority out of West Texas, where last month one unvaccinated child died.
L.A. health officials in their announcement said the individual who tested positive for measles arrived at LAX on March 5 on a China Airlines flight. The city’s public health department is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to notify people who were on that flight and may have been exposed, department officials said. Last month, Orange County health officials confirmed a case of an infant who had also traveled through LAX.
Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s health officer, said on Wednesday that the unvaccinated adult who tested positive there had also recently traveled, but would not say where, noting the person was not infectious during the flight.
Fresno’s public health department notified Madera health officials of the case because that person recently attended a large faith-based convention in Madera County. Dr. Simon Paul, Madera’s health officer, said his department has been working to notify eventgoers of the possible exposure.
Health officials say the best protection is to get the two recommended doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. People who do not know if they have been vaccinated against measles can obtain a blood test to check for antibodies.
In California, which has some of the strictest vaccine rules in the country, about 97% of school-aged children are vaccinated against measles.
Vohra added vaccination is especially urgent for people planning international travel this spring and summer, as many other countries are currently experiencing outbreaks. Infants are typically at highest risk of falling ill because most do not get the first dose of the MMR vaccine until 12-15 months of age, according to the CDC.
- Vohra: “Measles is really contagious. … If people are not vaccinated against measles, that really puts them at high risk.”
(Ana B. Ibarra is a health care reporter for CalMatters, covering access, affordability, and hospital finances. Her work has appeared in major outlets like The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. This article was first published in CalMatters.)
