On Saturday, Jan. 19, Clark County Public Health named three new locations where one may have been exposed to measles, all in Battle Ground, and said the confirmed number of cases remains at 19 with five more suspected. Two previously suspected cases have been ruled out.
On Friday evening Clark County Council Chair Eileen Quiring declared the measles outbreak a public health emergency.
“The process is necessary to ensure Public Health has adequate resources to continue its response,” county staff wrote in a news release. “The declaration enables Public Health to have access to additional resources outside of our regional area.”
New locations:
Schools
•, 601B SW Eaton Blvd., Battle Ground on Tuesday, Jan. 8 and Wednesday, Jan. 9.
• River HomeLink, 601 SW Eaton Blvd., Battle Ground
Tuesday, Jan. 8 and Wednesday, Jan. 9.
Other location:
• A Children’s Dentist, 101 NW 12th Ave., Battle Ground
1:30 – 6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 8
Previously announced locations can be found here: Measles outbreak hits 19, infected person attended Blazers game
Details of confirmed cases as of Jan. 19:
Age
• 1 to 10 years: 15 cases
• 11 to 18 years: three cases
• 19 to 29 years: one case
Immunization status
• Unverified: three cases
• Unimmunized: 16 cases
Hospitalization
• One case
Those who may have been exposed and believe they have measles symptoms are asked to contact their healthcare provider prior to visiting their offices to avoid more exposure.
Those with the disease are contagious for four days before a rash appears and up to four days after the rash appears, according to Public Health. The department noted that children younger than 5 and adults older than 20 were most likely to suffer complications including lung and ear infections, diarrhea and in rare cases swelling of the brain.
Public health did note some likely immune groups, such as those born before 1957, those who are certain they have already had the disease and those up-to-date on vaccines — one dose for children up to four years old and two doses for those four and older.
Anyone with questions about measles infection or the measles vaccine should call their primary care provider or Clark County Public Health, (360) 397-8021.
