Riverside County health officials are encouraging people to get vaccinated against measles as cases continue to increase across the nation.
“Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our community against measles,” Dr. Jennifer Chevinsky, Riverside County public health officer said in a Thursday news release. “Roughly 90% of those unvaccinated and exposed to measles will contract the disease.”
The Riverside University Health System – Public Health release came days after ABC 7 Los Angeles reported that a Riverside County toddler had been diagnosed with the highly infectious virus. However, tests done by Riverside County Public Health officials came back negative for the virus, the child’s mother told the news network.
According to the county, there were no suspected or confirmed cases of measles in Riverside County at that time, and the last known case was back in 2018.
Barbara Cole, director for disease control with Public Health, said that if there were a confirmed case of measles, the public would be notified.
“First, we’ll send out a notice to healthcare providers,” Cole said. “It would alert them that we do have a confirmed case of measles, remind them of what the follow-up should be and remind them that confirmed and suspected cases are immediately reportable to Public Health.”
After that first notice goes out, a second one, this time for the media and the public, would go out to alert the public. These notices will include information about where the person had been, but stops short of disclosing personally identifiable information.
“Things that are reportable to Public Health are so that we as Public Health can do our job in trying to protect the public, but we do not disclose anyone’s personal information,” Cole said. “We don’t provide any demographics on the person. We keep it all confidential.”
Stay up to date with the latest from The Record. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter today!
Cole said while the notices were going out, Public Health would continue to work with the individual to get in touch with others who they might have come into direct contact with while contagious.
“We also have to look at who was exposed and potentially were not protected, so they are aware of the risk with signs and symptoms to watch for and to restrict activity if they’ve been exposed and they have not had appropriate vaccination until we know they’re not going to get sick,” Cole said.
Symptoms of measles can include an initial fever that lasts a couple of days, followed by a cough, a runny nose, pink eye and a prickly red rash.
“There are many different kinds of rash illnesses that can appear similar to measles, so it’s important to consult with a healthcare provider to ensure an accurate diagnosis, which often requires testing,” Chevinsky said in the release. “The Public Health department follows up on any instances where there may be concern for measles or other transmissible diseases of concern.”
Those experiencing a rash illness, or who believe they may have been exposed to measles, are encouraged to contact their healthcare provider. Those seeking care for a rash illness through an emergency department or urgent care should call ahead to ensure the facility can take appropriate precautions.
Vaccination remains an effective way to protect from measles, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommending two doses of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine for children (one dose at 12 months and another between 4-6 years) and older children, teens and adults without documented doses of the vaccine.
Vaccination with one dose is also recommended for infants as young as 6 months old prior to international travel to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.
More information about measles can be found on the California Department of Public Health’s website.
The Riverside Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet providing Riverside County with high-quality journalism free of charge. We’re able to do this because of the generous donations of supporters like you!