Calif. Measles Outbreak is Over, State Says

The measles outbreak in California is over and public health officials are encouraging residents to get vaccinated, officials with the California Department of Public Health said Friday.

This past December the outbreak began, infecting 131 people, ranging in age from six weeks to 70 years, according to the department. No one died.

Now, with the end of two 21-day incubation periods, public health officials have declared the outbreak over.

Here’s the final tally of measles cases reported in California since December, broken down by county. A total of 131 of the 136 below are presumed to be linked to the outbreak:

• Alameda: 6
• Contra Costa: 1
• Los Angeles: 29
• City of Long Beach* 2
• City of Pasadena* 4
• Marin: 2
• Merced: 1
• Orange: 35
• Riverside: 8
• San Bernardino: 12
• San Diego: 14
• Santa Clara: 3
• San Mateo: 4
• Solano: 1
• Ventura: 13
• Yolo 1
  *City health jurisdictions not included in county total

Although the outbreak is over, health officials said another outbreak could occur because some communities in California have low immunizations rates.

“We are pleased this outbreak is over, but caution that measles can be reintroduced in California at any time when an infected person brings it to the state,” said Dr. Karen Smith, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state health officer. “The best defense for protection against the highly infectious measles is vaccination.”

Deputy director and state epidemiologist for the Center for Infectious Diseases Dr. Gil Chavez said the outbreak might have started with a person from out of the country who was visiting one or two Disney theme parks in California.

“Forty-two cases were directly linked to an initial exposure in December at Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California,” a news release from the CDPH states. “Additional cases were secondary to those.”

Since there is no way to keep tourists or other visitors from coming to the United States, the way to prevent another outbreak is to vaccinate Californians, Chavez said.

Chavez said the overall vaccination rate in California is good, at about 90 percent. But he said there are pockets of low rates, with rates at some schools at 50 percent.

“Measles is not a trivial illness,” Chavez said.

One person who contracted the disease during the outbreak became ill and collapsed at home, required a breathing tube. The person suffered multiple organ injuries, required renal dialysis and could not breath without mechanical help for three weeks. The person required a long period of convalescence at home, Chavez said.

Current California law allows parents to enroll their child or children in school without immunizing them based on personal beliefs. California Senate Bill 277 would eliminate that exemption, but officials with the health department would not comment on the bill.

Chavez said the measles vaccine is highly effective. The vaccine has been so affective that U.S. health officials said they had eliminated the disease in the U.S. in 2000.

Seventy percent of the people infected by the disease during the outbreak were not vaccinated. Chavez said those unvaccinated were either too young or they preferred not to be vaccinated.

Nineteen percent of the people who contracted the disease had to be treated at a hospital, Chavez said, adding that measles should not be occurring during this day and age because the vaccine is so effective. Experience with millions of children have shown the vaccine to be safe, he said.

“Vaccinations are absolutely safe,” Chavez said.

More information about measles can be found on the CDPH website.

— Patch Editor Renee Schiavone and Bay City News Service contributed to this report. (Image via Shutterstock, chart via California Department of Public Health)