The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) recently reported the state’s first measles incident, identifying the patient as a child under the age of four who recently traveled internationally.
The department has released limited information about the patient, but has confirmed that the child lives in the Northwest area.
Health officials are coordinating efforts to identify potential people exposed, according to a VDH news release.
The outbreak of measles has been declared in the latest eight states announced Thursday in Michigan.
The outbreak of measles declared in eight states, including Michigan’s first in five years, has now been declared
Measles patients (istock)
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Oakland County Health Department confirmed the first case of measles in Oakland County on March 14, and the state detected up to eight cases this year.
“This first case of measles in Virginia this year is a reminder of how easily this highly contagious disease can spread, especially on international travel,” said Laurie Forlano, an epidemiologist at VDH.
Forlano said that MMR vaccination is the best defense against measles and is “safe and extremely effective” in protecting people and preventing outbreaks.
Two doses of vaccines will be administered to provide lifetime protection.
“We want Virginians, especially those planning on travel, vaccination status, talking to healthcare providers and getting the MMR vaccine if necessary,” she said.
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The measles recommendations are provided on a message board outside Gaines County Courthouse in Seminole, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Anyone who was at Kaiser Permanente Caton Hill Medical Center could have advanced emergency medical care from 10am to 1:30pm on Tuesday, or exposed at the Fredericksburg Medical Center pediatrics department at Kaiser Permanente from Wednesday to 5pm, officials said.
Those who received a vaccine containing measles (measles, mumps, or rubella) [MMR] Vaccines available in other countries or measles-only vaccines) may be at risk for developing measles.
However, those who received two doses of a vaccine containing measles, or who were born before 1957, are protected and do not need to take action.
In Virginia, approximately 95% of kindergarten children are fully vaccinated.
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The child will be vaccinated in Los Angeles on March 25th. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
However, infants who are too young to be vaccinated or unvaccinated are susceptible to measles.
Infants travelling internationally between 6 and 11 months, or to areas where an outbreak is reported, must receive one MMR vaccine before travelling.
According to VDH, it is a highly contagious disease that can easily spread into the air when a person infected with measles breathes, coughs, sneezes or sneezes.
Symptoms usually appear in two stages, with one stage of symptoms: fever with exposure above 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes, and cough fever.
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Houston box containing measles vaccinations (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
The second stage begins 3-5 days after symptoms begin, and a rash appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
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Health officials say people with measles are contagious four days before the rash appears, or four days before the rash appears.
Angelica Stabile from Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
