Friday, Sept. 6, Elizabethtown College was issued a Community Health Advisory related to a case of measles reported in York County. The individual with measles travelled in and around both York and Dauphin counties, which neighbor Lancaster County. The advisory stated that though measles had not been reported in Lancaster County, students, faculty and staff should still take preventative measures.
“If a student contracted the measles they would need to be isolated from others so as not to spread it to anyone who might not be vaccinated. This might mean they return home to recuperate,” Etown Student Health Liason and RN Eileen Wagener said in an email.
According to the email warning, measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through saliva and respiratory secretions, and it is preventable with vaccination. Affected people begin to show symptoms seven to 14 days after exposure, starting with fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes. The red rash appears after, and affected people can spread the virus between a period of four days before the rash appears to four days afterward.
The best way to prevent the measles is through vaccination, and over 99 percent of Etown students have received the required two doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), two doses of the MMR vaccination can provide up to 88 percent protection against measles. The CDC also recommends avoiding sharing food and drink with others or participating in activities where the virus could be passed. They also recommend frequently washing hands and covering the nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing.
“If a case were to be reported in Lancaster county, our recommendations would be the same. Be vaccinated, be aware of the symptoms, seek medical care if you are ill,” Wagener said.
If a person is exposed to someone with measles, the CDC recommends they immediately call their doctor, who can make special arrangements to evaluate their condition. If a person were to contract measles, the CDC advises the person stay home four days after developing the rash so that the person does not spread it to others.
Before the American Vaccination Program started in 1963, around 3 to 4 million people contracted the measles each year, though only 500,000 were reported. Among those, 400 to 500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized and 1,000 developed brain swelling because of measles. In 2000, the CDC declared measles an eliminated virus in the U.S., though more cases have been reported since then. These are due to measles cases coming into America from outside countries and pockets of unvaccinated people in U.S. communities.
As of 2017, the national coverage for the MMR vaccine in children between 19 and 35 months was 93 percent, though these averages vary from state to state with some falling below 90 percent.
Since the elimination of measles in the U.S., the annual number of reported cases has ranged from a low of 37 in 2004 to a high of 667 in 2014.
No further news has been issued regarding this advisory.
