Measles In Washington State: Authorities Warn Of Possible Exposure At Sea-Tac Airport

Health officials in Washington State confirmed a measles case in King County and warned of possible exposure at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac). The announcement follows hot on the heels of a statement by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding its concerns over the possible impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on measles cases and vaccination.

Public Health — Seattle & King County confirmed a case of measles in a young boy from King County on Wednesday. In the statement, officials said that the child likely got measles from outside the country, noting that measles outbreaks continue to persist in many places around the world.

Prior to being diagnosed with measles, the child was reportedly at the Sea-Tac Airport North Satellite Gate N-11 and Carousel 13 of the baggage claim on Nov. 5, between 10 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.

The measles virus can remain in the air even two hours after an infected person leaves a location, so anyone who was at these locations at the above date and time, as well as two hours after, may have been exposed to the virus. As such, the health officials urge people who may have been in these locations to find out whether they have been vaccinated for measles and to call a health care provider if they develop a fever or an illness with an "unexplained rash".

Typically, measles symptoms appear about seven to 21 days after the exposure, and the rash comes a few days after the fever, Public Health — Seattle & King County said. Anyone who develops an illness after exposure is advised to not go directly to a clinic or hospital as this may expose others to measles. Instead, they need to call the facility or local health department first to inform them of the situation.

Authorities noted that the risk to the general public is "low" since most people in the area are vaccinated, but they urged everyone to stay up-to-date with their vaccinations for measles and other preventable diseases.

"Measles vaccine is safe, effective, and offers excellent protection. If you aren't sure if you're up to date with the recommended doses of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR), see your health care provider and get a dose of MMR if needed," Health Officer at Public Health - Seattle & King County, Jeff Duchin, said in the statement. "During our COVID-19 pandemic, it's important to stay up-to-date on [sic] all scheduled vaccinations for children, so we don't lose important community protections against other serious infections."

In 2019, Washington State experienced two measles outbreaks with a total of 87 cases, which the Washington State Department of Health noted as the most number of cases in the state since 1990.

Worldwide, the measles cases in 2019 reached nearly 870,000, which is said to be the highest number of measles cases since 1996. It caused 207,500 deaths, the WHO said in a news release on Thursday.

In the statement, the WHO expressed concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic's possible impacts on worldwide measles cases, with the efforts to vaccinate millions of people essentially being "crippled" by the efforts to control COVID-19.

"Before there was a coronavirus crisis, the world was grappling with a measles crisis, and it has not gone away," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in the WHO news release. "While health systems are strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, we must not allow our fight against one deadly disease to come at the expense of our fight against another."