Arizona reports first measles case since 2022

Maricopa County confirmed an international visitor with measles may have exposed people to the highly contagious respiratory illness at two Valley locations late last month.

• Arizona's high rate of unvaccinated children puts the state at increased risk of an outbreak, public health experts say.

Why it matters: About 1 in 5 unvaccinated Americans who gets measles is hospitalized, and the condition is especially dangerous for children and pregnant women.

• About 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to measles will become infected, per the county's public health department.

Driving the news: Maricopa County Public Health cautions that people may have been exposed to measles on Jan. 27 at the following locations:

• The breakfast buffet at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Chandler between 7am and noon.
• Twin Peaks near 22nd Street and Camelback Road between 2 and 5pm.

Be smart: It can take up to three weeks from exposure to develop symptoms, which include fever, cough, rash and white spots in the throat.

• The measles virus can survive in the air and on surfaces for two hours, meaning it can be transmitted even after the infected person leaves the room.

What they're saying: "If you are immunized, there's a very low chance [you'll contract measles]. On the other hand, if you're exposed and you're not immunized, there's a very high chance," Maricopa County assistant medical director Nick Staab tells Axios Phoenix.

Zoom out: The World Health Organization recently warned about global outbreaks of measles tied to falling vaccination rates.

• The CDC late last month issued an alert about cases popping up in the U.S., mostly among kids and teens who weren't immunized.
• That's why Staab said he's still urging vaccinations, even though the county has not yet determined any additional cases connected to last month's case.

Threat level: Arizona's rate of kindergartners with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine was about 90% last school year, below the national average.

• The Arizona Department of Health Services aims for 95% or higher to achieve herd immunity.

The intrigue: Vaccine expert Paul Offit told Axios' Tina Reed that the return of measles is a "canary in the coal mine" for the country's ability to fight the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.

• He blames vaccine misinformation and politicization that exploded during the pandemic for falling immunization rates.

Zoom in: Arizona law lets parents opt out of childhood immunizations required for school if they complete a form acknowledging the increased risk of disease.

Flashback: Arizona reported three measles cases in 2022 and one in 2019, but the last significant outbreak was in 2016, infecting 22 detainees and nine staffers at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Eloy.

• It was the state's largest outbreak since 1991.