The next step, Franklin said, is to increase access to vaccines in communities. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are 97% effective in preventing measles infection and illness, research shows.
Infants are eligible to get one early dose of the vaccine if they live or are visiting areas with outbreaks.
“Yes, we have it available, but let’s make sure we can get it available in different ways,” Franklin said. “We may consider a pop up, we may consider in-home [services], we may consider expanding our hours in our regular facility. All of that is being researched now, but we want to be thoughtful. What makes sense and what will draw people in?”
County health officials say they’re already seeing people come in for measles shots, for themselves or their children, who had not been previously vaccinated.
“We’ve had plenty of people who chose not to before, come in as families and say, ‘It’s time,’” Franklin said. “It’s fantastic.”
The county is also continuing a campaign on social media with the goal of increasing awareness about measles infections, travel precautions and vaccination options.
Part of that messaging includes thanking people who’ve chosen to vaccinate themselves and commending their action to protect others in the community. The campaign also highlights steps people can take to limit the spread of disease, whether they’re vaccinated or not.
That can involve staying home and isolating if potentially exposed to measles, and participating in county contact tracing, Franklin said.
“If you’re being asked for information because you’ve been exposed, please cooperate so other families have an equal chance to make a decision,” she said. “If another family doesn’t know [about their exposure risk], then they can’t decide whether to change their mind to vaccinate, whether to get tested, etc. And that, to me, just seems unfair.”