Infants Cleared to Return to Santa Monica Daycare After Measles Exposure

Fourteen infants who were exposed to a baby that was diagnosed with measles at a Santa Monica High School day care center will be allowed to return to the facility Monday, ending a 21-day incubation period to ensure they were not infected with the disease.

The infants were under a year old and too young to be vaccinated, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District spokeswoman Gail Pinsker told City News Service.

“The non-immunized infants will be allowed to return on Monday, and that’s per the direction of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health,” she said.

The Santa Monica High School Infant Toddler Center was initially closed after the infant was diagnosed with measles. The facility reopened a few days later, but only for children with proof that they had been immunized against measles and were not at risk.

Others were told to remain home for 21 days, which is the general amount of time needed to determine if they had contracted measles.

The infant at the center that contracted measles has recovered and has also been cleared to return to the center, Pinsker said. No other measles cases connected to the center have been reported, she said.

“We’re very happy with the direction we received from the Department of Public Health and swift action from the district contained the case,” Pinsker said.

More than 100 cases of measles have been confirmed in the state. Many have been traced back to an outbreak centered at Disneyland.

• City News Service

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