Spring travel and measles cases collide
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Spring break travel is ramping up, and so are measles concerns, after a child with the virus passed through Sea-Tac Airport last month in Washington's third case this year.
State of play: As of April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 607 confirmed measles cases in 22 jurisdictions, including Alaska, California, Florida, Texas and Washington.
Why it matters: Measles is highly contagious and can cause serious illness and death, especially in children under 5 years old, according to the state Department of Health.
- Even brief exposure can lead to infection for those without vaccine protection, per Public Health — Seattle & King County.
What to know: Health officials say people should get vaccinated if they were born after 1957 and either didn't get vaccinated or don't know if they were; if they received their measles shots between 1963 and 1967; or if they're traveling internationally.
- A booster shot is generally not needed for people born before 1957 or those who had two doses of measles vaccine as children or had measles as a kid, per the CDC.
The big picture: The outbreaks come amid federal cuts to childhood vaccine funding, widespread misinformation around vaccines and a nationwide decline in vaccination.
- In King County last year vaccination rates fell to about 3 percentage points below what the CDC estimates is necessary to ensure herd immunity,
The bottom line: The CDC says there's no harm in getting an extra dose of the vaccine.