Another Measles exposure? Yikes!

[avalon451]

https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/disneyland-measles-2019/

 

[WonkaKid]

Yikes. I was there on the 14th (two days after the girl was there) as well as the 18th. So far. no symptoms .

 

[gary1955]

it takes 7-14 days for someone exposed to become contagious so you should be ok. anyone she may have infected wouldn't have been able to infect you.

the article didn't say when there was a public notice. if August 23 (the date of the article) was when an alert was issued then there could have been 4 days, about August 19-23 that it could have been passed on in the park. I'm assuming that any cast member or vendor that could not be vaccinated for medical reasons and may have been exposed would not be able to work in the park until they were in the clear.

 

[KayMichigan]

https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireS...5158956?cid=clicksource_4380645_null_card_hed
A New Zealand teenager who visited Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hollywood tourist hot spots and the beach this month had measles and may have exposed others, public health agencies announced Friday.

The girl arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 11 and went to the Desert Palms Hotel in Anaheim, officials said. She is believed to have gone to Disneyland and the Disney California Adventure Park on Aug. 12 and then Universal Studios, the TCL Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds in Hollywood and the Santa Monica beach and pier on Aug. 14-15, authorities said.

 

[DLgal]

It seems weird that this made news. Orange County has been experiencing a measles outbreak for several months. It's not some big secret.

 

[chickapin parterre]

national news broke a story this week that measles is on an upsurge again and officials are surprised after the previous year experience.

 

[Reepicheep]

It seems weird that this made news. Orange County has been experiencing a measles outbreak for several months. It's not some big secret.

I just did a google search, and found an Orange County health alert dated May 24th, 2019 saying that, since no new cases had been reported for 21 days, the outbreak was basically over. So, with this new case, I guess the clock starts over again...

 

[DLgal]

I just did a google search, and found an Orange County health alert dated May 24th, 2019 saying that, since no new cases had been reported for 21 days, the outbreak was basically over. So, with this new case, I guess the clock starts over again...

Huh. We visit an allergist located in a CHOC satellite building with many pediatric specialists and almost all of them STILL have notices on the doors that anyone with a fever and cough or rash needs to wear a face mask upon entry, due to measles cases locally. Maybe they are just more cautious because these are kids with compromised immune systems?

 

[Reepicheep]

Maybe they are just more cautious because these are kids with compromised immune systems?

I'd guess that's the likely reason.

Here in Alberta, we seem to be having at least two or three measles outbreaks a year, almost always caused by people (either foreign tourists, or Canadian tourists returning home) flying in from overseas. I don't think this problem will be going away anytime soon, so I think about all Canada and the US can do is strongly encourage all citizens to get immunized with the MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) vaccine, or better yet, the MMRV vaccine which also provides protection against chicken pox.

I don't have a lot of sympathy for the arguments some parents use as rationale for not having their children vaccinated, except in the very rare cases where there are valid medical reasons for children not being vaccinated.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I don't understand why people choose not to vaccinate. I understand that some people can't get the vaccine for whatever reason (most often too young or illnesses or immune system problems)...I guess I should get off my soapbox though.

Anyway, we went to Disneyland during the 2015 measles scare. If you're vaccinated, there's very little chance of you getting it. If you aren't vaccinated...well, you'll know after a few weeks if you got it or not. This happens a lot in tourist areas, partly due to people who choose not to vaccinate and partly due to people from other countries that either can't or don't vaccinate. Unfortunately, it's a part of life these days.

 

[azdisneylover]

It seems weird that this made news. Orange County has been experiencing a measles outbreak for several months. It's not some big secret.

Perhaps it is because the person in question was from another country who was here with limited time. She is back in NZ. Since CA have many cities that are sanctuary cities, people may think the outbreak could be from illegals.

 

[DLRExpert]

This type of issue has been common. Its just more common now because the media is pushing for vaccination stories because it produces higher ratings and clicks.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Anyway, we went to Disneyland during the 2015 measles scare. If you're vaccinated, there's very little chance of you getting it. If you aren't vaccinated...well, you'll know after a few weeks if you got it or not. This happens a lot in tourist areas, partly due to people who choose not to vaccinate and partly due to people from other countries that either can't or don't vaccinate. Unfortunately, it's a part of life these days.

All of us with babies under 1 year of age are at risk since you can’t vaccinate until 1. Makes me nervous but we also can’t live in a bubble until 1 unfortunately.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

PSA: If you were born between 1957 and 1971 (I think those are the years), the CDC recommends getting a titre test (simple, inexpensive blood test) to see if you are immune to measles. The CDC says that the measles vaccine during those years was only about 50% effective. I know APs who had titre tests done during the 2015 DLR measles scare and discovered that they were not immune!

 

[violina]

PSA: If you were born between 1957 and 1971 (I think those are the years), the CDC recommends getting a titre test (simple, inexpensive blood test) to see if you are immune to measles. The CDC says that the measles vaccine during those years was only about 50% effective. I know APs who had titre tests done during the 2015 DLR measles scare and discovered that they were not immune!

One of my friends that lives in the area did the titre and found that she was no longer immune (she couldn't find her vaccination records and wanted to verify) and she was born in the 80's. I had the titre done (for different reasons), but it's still a great reassurance if you can do it. Especially if you can't verify that you got the full vaccination schedule. Plus starting at 50, adults should be checked since their immunity may be gone (as per the CDC).

 

[theluckyrabbit]

It is great reassurance and it's so easy to do. Better safe than sorry, right? Our friends were just shocked that they weren't immune to measles after all those years of thinking that they were.

 

[corkevem]

People who have worked in healthcare, even such things as group homes, etc., often are required to have mmr boosters before working in these fields. So luckily, many born during those above years have probably already had booster shots.

 

[Reepicheep]

I don't understand why people choose not to vaccinate.

One of the small towns I was raised in (Coaldale, Alberta) has had several independent measles outbreaks, so I follow this topic fairly closely. The most significant problem which causes large measles outbreaks is religious groups (in Western Canada, members of certain Dutch Reformed churches) refusing vaccinations for religious reasons. The pattern of an outbreak is predictable: a member of the Dutch Reformed Church flies in from The Netherlands (either a Canadian returning home, or a Dutch tourist visiting Canada) and is unknowingly carrying the measles virus. The person visits a Dutch Reformed Church or school, and POOF, instant epidemic.

A similar thing happens in New York, among certain Orthodox Jewish communities.

These epidemics are especially bad, since there are large communities of closely knit people who are unvaccinated. I don't think a case in (for example) Disneyland is nearly as serious, since there wouldn't normally be large get togethers of unvaccinated people.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... I don't think a case in (for example) Disneyland is nearly as serious, since there wouldn't normally be large get togethers of unvaccinated people.

It can be a serious risk at DLR where on any given day there are however many Make a Wish kids, guests undergoing chemo, guests with immunity issues, guests with who-knows-what-kind-of health issues, numerous guests who are too young for vaccinations, pregnant guests, etc. Disneyland is a unique destination that attracts more than the usual number of "vulnerable" guests, so this case should be taken seriously (but not made "tabloid" scary).

 

[Reepicheep]

It can be a serious risk at DLR where on any given day there are however many Make a Wish kids, guests undergoing chemo, guests with immunity issues, guests with who-knows-what-kind-of health issues, numerous guests who are too young for vaccinations, pregnant guests, etc. Disneyland is a unique destination that attracts more than the usual number of "vulnerable" guests, so this case should be taken seriously (but not made "tabloid" scary).

I agree with everything you wrote. On average, the guests at Disneyland who are susceptible to measles would be at a much greater risk of suffering extreme consequences from catching measles, than would be a typical unvaccinated person in the general population.

As a family, we started making twice yearly Disneyland trips 15 years ago, when my youngest daughter was 10 months old and therefore unvaccinated. In the current environment, I don't think I would take an unvaccinated infant to Disneyland, the risk is just too great.

When my niece in Southern Alberta gave birth three years ago, in the midst of a measles outbreak, she insisted that every person who came to her house to see the baby had to have been vaccinated for measles. It's unfortunate, but that is the world we now live in.