SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — Recent evidence indicates that measles is no longer predominantly spread via international travel. Instead, most cases are now associated with unvaccinated children.
In Washington, 50% of measles cases are linked to an outbreak within the state. The majority of these cases are occurring on the west side, particularly in Snohomish County, among children aged 5 to 17. Notably, 92% of these children are unvaccinated.
In Spokane, the Regional Health District has highlighted that while many schools have high vaccination rates, some schools have coverage rates between 70% to 80%. These lower coverage areas create vulnerabilities for potential outbreaks.
Mark Springer Communicable Disease Program Manager at Spokane Regional Health District, emphasized the risk of measles spreading in group environments.
“Measles can spread pretty easily in those environments because it stays in the air for up to two hours after a person has left,” Springer said. “And you can imagine if someone who had measles or was infectious was in a school environment for six to seven hours of the day for a couple of days before their rash started, there’s a lot of people potentially at risk with that.”
The MMR vaccine offers 93% protection after one dose and 97% protection after two doses. The main message from the health district is to check vaccination records, verify immunity and monitor any exposure alerts from state health officials in the event of an outbreak.
