Measles Exposure Impacts Infants in Northern Utah
Eleven infants in northern Utah were potentially exposed to measles after visiting Intermountain Health’s Budgeโ Clinic in Logan โonโ September 15th. The exposure occurred dueโ to contact wiht an โคinfected individual, โฃprompting โคa rapid response from multipleโฃ health agencies.
Jordan Mathis, โdirector of the Bear River Health District (coveringโค Boxโข Elder, โขcache,โ and Richโฃ Counties),โฃ described the situation as โa โคcollaborativeโข effortโ between his department, the Utah Department of Health and Humanโ Services, and Intermountain Health. โขThe infants were โconsideredโฃ particularly vulnerable as they were all under โคone year old andโ therefore ineligibleโฃ for the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. This age group faces โฃa heightened risk of severe complicationsโ from measles, including pneumonia,โ brain infection, โseizures, and even death.
Fortunately, Utah maintains a stockโข ofโ post-exposure โขprophylactic globulin, a treatment designed to โขprevent measles infection afterโ exposure, specifically for โsituations involving individuals ineligible โคfor vaccination.โ Though, the treatment is only effective whenโ administered within sixโ days of exposure.
“We โhad โขuntil Sunday to getโค all those individuals and get them the treatment,” Mathisโ stated. Families were notified of the exposure by 10 p.m. on โFriday.โข
Aโ special clinic was organized on โคSaturday, wereโ nine families chose to have their infants receive the treatment. The remaining two infants were referred to an emergency room for intravenous governance of the globulin due to โขtheir small size.
Asโฃ of Tuesday, Estee Hunt, a spokesperson for theโ Bear River Health District, reported that none of the infantsโข were exhibiting any measles symptoms. โSymptoms typically appear โฃwithin seven to fourteen days of exposure.
Utah has recorded โข41 confirmedโค measles cases this year, withโ four occurring within the Bear River Health District. While the post-exposure โฃtreatmentโ was administered to the infants, Mathis emphasized the importance of theโค MMR vaccine as a preventative measure for eligible individuals, notingโข its 97% effectiveness after two doses. The state recommends the first dose be given on or after a child’s first birthday, and the second between ages four and six.โ
The infants who received the โขpost-exposure treatment โwill follow a delayed โschedule for their MMR vaccinations. Dr. Leisha Nolen, a Utah epidemiologist, cautioned that the state’s supply of โฃpost-exposure treatment is โlimited โฃand might potentially be insufficient in the eventโข of a larger-scale exposure.