Last updated on August 24th, 2019 at 11:32 am
❝Public health officials in Indiana recently confirmed a 15th case of the measles in the central portion of the state.
Although all of the previous cases occurred in either Boone or Hamilton counties, located north of Indianapolis, the Indiana State Department of Health declined to specify where the newly confirmed case is located, according to the Indianapolis Star.
The health department said that the new case does not pose any increased public health threat because the individual has been in self-isolation since being exposed to the highly contagious respiratory illness.
“Through our investigation, we were made aware that this individual was exposed and may be at high risk for developing the disease,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Gregory Larkin said, WANE-TV (Ft. Wayne, IN) reports. “This is good news, because since we knew about the exposure and risk, this person was able to stay home and avoid exposing anyone else while infectious.”
An Indiana school district recently refused to allow unvaccinated students to attend classes in the wake of the outbreak. This is the second measles outbreak in Indiana in less than a year.
“In general, when we experience measles in the United States, it’s a result of an unvaccinated U.S. resident traveling abroad or a foreign visitor from a part of the world where measles is endemic,” Larkin said, according to WANE-TV.❞
The Allen County (Fort Wayne, IN) Department of Health sent out the following letter to school districts in the county, asking them to forward to parents:
Dear Parent or Guardian,
As you may be aware, the state of Indiana is experiencing an outbreak of measles. There have been 13 cases, involving both children and adults in Boone and Hamilton counties. So far no cases have been found in Allen County. However, people who did attend Super Bowl activities in Indianapolis on February 4th may have been exposed to the virus and are still in the asymptomatic incubation period, which can be up to two weeks.
[pullquote]Measles is highly contagious, but people who were born before 1957 or who have been vaccinated should be protected. There are still large numbers of children who remain unvaccinated across Indiana and because of this it is possible we will see further cases over the coming weeks. The only way to control the spread of measles is for children to be fully protected by receiving two doses of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine. [/pullquote]
Now would be a good time to review your child’s vaccination record to make sure he or she has had two doses of the MMR vaccine as required. If you have opted out of this requirement in the past, I would encourage you to reconsider getting your child immunized so he or she is fully protected from these serious diseases.
To check your child’s immunization status or to schedule an appointment for vaccination in our clinic, call (260) 449-3514.
If you have other questions or concerns about measles, please call the Indiana State Department of Health’s measles hotline at 1-877-826-0011 (TTY/TTD 1-888-561-0044).
via Indiana confirms 15th measles case | Vaccine News Daily.
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