Should You Be Worried About Contracting Measles?

Editor's note: This story was originally written and published by Jeanne Gustafson on Sammamish-Issaquah Patch in response to a previous measles case.

With a recent confirmed case of measles at SeaTac airport, some people are no doubt wondering if they need to be concerned for their health.

James Apa, a King County Health spokesman, said most people need not worry, but the recent cases are a reminder to check your immunity status and watch for symptoms if you've been in the same locations around the same time as people affected.

"The good news is most people have immunity to measles," Apa said, but the department has wanted to get the word out "because it’s so contagious it has a way of finding the unvaccinated. And, because it can be a very severe illness, we want to make sure people who are more vulnerable are aware."

The people most likely to contract the disease are infants under six months old who have not been vaccinated (the two-dose vaccination series begins at 12 months of age); pregnant women; people with compromised immune systems; and unvaccinated adults.

"Pregant woman considered at risk even if vaccinated, for two reasons," Apa said. "When you’re pregnant it does suppress immunity and can potentially cause complications. People who are immune-compromised, even if vaccinated then they are more vulnerable."

There are several reasons why adults may not be immune, Apa said. Adults who move to the U.S. from other countries where measles are common are recommended, but not required, to be vaccinated upon moving here. Adults who were born here but received their measles vaccination between 1963 and '67 are also considered unvaccinated, because the vaccination used during those years was derived from an inactive, or killed, virus, and considered less effective.

Since 1968, the measles vaccine (now part of the MMR--measles, mumps, rubella) is derived from a low-level live virus and effective for almost all people, provided they get two doses. The first dose provides immunity for 95 percent of people.

There's good news also for anyone born before 1957. There was no vaccine yet, so nearly everyone was exposed, and is considered immune to the disease, Apa said.

Though most people here don't need to worry about getting measles, being armed with information will help prvent the disease spreading to vulnerable populations, Apa said.

"While we know most people are protected with vaccination, there are some people who are vulnerable, so if they have symptoms they can act quickly," Apa said.

For anyone who visited SeaTac during or after the person with measles was there, the message is awareness, Apa said.