State health officials urged Californians to get vaccinated after local health departments earlier this week reported six new confirmed cases of the highly contagious viral disease among children in Sacramento and Placer counties.
The California Department of Public Health said the six confirmed cases in the Sacramento area represent the third outbreak of measles this year in California. Health officials are investigating additional suspected measles cases across multiple jurisdictions and were working to notify people who may have been exposed, according to the department’s news release.
On Wednesday, county public health officials announced confirmed cases of measles in two unvaccinated children in Sacramento County, which are among 26 confirmed measles cases in California so far this year. State health officials said one of the children was a toddler who contracted measles while traveling to an area in South Carolina with an ongoing measles outbreak.
The other child who contracted measles in Sacramento County had attended an educational enrichment program where as many as 130 children may have been exposed to the child while they were infectious, according to CDPH. The leaders of the educational enrichment program have agreed to voluntarily close the facility temporarily.
On Monday, health officials announced three confirmed measles cases, all teenagers from a single family linked through household exposure, in Placer County. State health officials said the three Placer County siblings had direct contact with the Sacramento County toddler who had traveled to South Carolina.
On Thursday, Placer County health officials reported a sixth measles case in an unvaccinated child from a different household within the same community, according to CDPH.
In light of the recent measles outbreak in the Sacramento area, along with measles spreading in other parts of the United States and the world, state health officials urged Californians to ensure they are fully vaccinated against measles.
CDPH strongly recommended that unvaccinated people exposed to measles stay at home, and that those with measles symptoms call their health care provider for guidance on testing and care. Measles symptoms include fever and unexplained rash.
“Measles, one of the most contagious infections, can lead to severe life-long consequences, including permanent brain damage and can also be fatal, especially for children,” Dr. Erica Pan, CDPH director and the state’s public health officer, said in the news release. “The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and provides long-lasting protection against measles. Vaccination protects both our own families and those who are too young to be fully vaccinated.”
Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective at stopping illness. California health officials said the measles cases in the South Carolina outbreak spread quickly in unvaccinated communities, often within families, groups of homeschooled children and religious communities with low rates of vaccination.
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Rosalio Ahumada writes breaking news stories related to crime and public safety for The Sacramento Bee. He speaks Spanish fluently and has worked as a news reporter in the Central Valley since 2004.