Adults advised to check measles vaccine records

[Guest guest]

Interesting - the confirmed cases so far are from those vaccinated - yet

unvaccinated children are requested to stay home from school for 21 days.

(standard yes, I know) - it appears however, the vaccinated should also stay

home. " All three students who fell ill had been previously vaccinated. " Adults

advised to check measles vaccine records

http://www.mlive.com/news/annarbornews/index.ssf?/base/news-24/1191595335262980.\

xml & coll=2 & thispage=1

2 doses needed for strongest immunity

Friday, October 05, 2007

BY DAVID JESSE

News Staff Reporter

Following a measles outbreak at Ann Arbor's Burns Park Elementary School,

local health officials are asking adults to examine their own immunization

records. Also, the Ann Arbor Public Schools offered free measles vaccinations

Thursday to Burns Park staff members.

Washtenaw County Public Health Department officials are asking any adults who

have contact with students at the school to determine whether they have had two

measles vaccination shots. If not, the health department is " strongly

encouraging'' them to get a second shot, said Bauman, the epidemiologist

for the health department.

Three teachers and a student teacher got the shots Thursday at the health

department, spokesman Gray Reynolds said.

Two shots didn't become standard until the late 1980s or early 1990s, Bauman

said. " One dose provides good coverage, but the second dose is now

recommended,'' she said.

However, the health department isn't asking everyone in the community to get a

second shot, Bauman said.

" Really, everyone in the community should be at least checking on their

immunization status,'' she said.

One case of the rare contagious disease was confirmed Monday. Two additional

cases are still waiting for official confirmation. All three students who fell

ill had been previously vaccinated.

Health officials are also looking beyond the school for any possible spread of

the disease.

" Our concern is that our kids don't live in a vacuum,'' Bauman said. " They

don't just go to the school. We're hoping we don't see transmission showing up

in other schools.

" We're looking at any group activities that occurred with these kids,'' Bauman

said. " We're contacting leaders of those activities and letting them know. We're

really trying to target the folks who potentially had contact with the kids.

What we can't account for is things like, was this child in a grocery store?

" We wanted to start with big groups, where they might have been in closed

rooms with these students. That's where transmission is more likely to occur.''

The health department is also asking parents to carefully monitor their

children.

" They should be very conscious of any rash illness and have it checked out by

a (doctor),'' Bauman said.

At the school, any student who hasn't had the vaccinations has been told not

to come to school for 21 days, school officials said. That affects about 10 of

the roughly 400 students at the school.

Health department officials said the immunization rate among students at Burns

Park is 98 percent.

The school district is also widening its notification efforts. Spokeswoman and

communications director Liz Margolis e-mailed all district principals Thursday

morning.

" As more unconfirmed cases of measles are reported at Burns Park, I think if

you have not yet communicated with your families this is a good time to do it,''

she wrote. " You should also share this (with) your teachers.''

Health Department officials said they have had conversations with state and

federal officials about the cases, including whether or not they could be the

result of some new strain that is resistant in some way to the vaccine.

" We really have no indication that's the case,'' Bauman said. " We have been

told that there are definitely other cases where people who have been immunized

have come down with a mild form of the measles.''

School officials have said they believe that the first student picked up

measles during an overseas trip.

There are large outbreaks of measles in Asia, India, Britain and Africa,

Bauman said.

can be reached at djesse@... or at 734-994-6937. Join

the discussion at blog.mlive.com/study_hall.