Arizona state health officials are reporting a confirmed case of measles in a 12-month-old infant from Pima County.
The child has recent Asia-related travel.
The Pima County Public Health Department and the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) are currently investigating to learn if there was any community exposure to the disease.
“We are working with our healthcare and public health partners to make sure we quickly identify any possible exposures to the community that may have occurred,” said Marcy Flanagan, Director of the Pima County Health Department. “As more and more cities and counties across the United States experience cases of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, we are working hard to prevent that from happening in Pima County.”
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“We know that infectious diseases are just a plane ride away,” Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. “Measles is a serious and highly contagious disease that can spread quickly. We recommend that everyone is vaccinated against measles to help keep our communities safe.”
Measles can be prevented with the MMR vaccine. The vaccine protects against three diseases: measles, mumps and rubella. The CDC recommends children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Teens and adults should also be up to date on their MMR vaccination. The MMR vaccine is very safe and effective.
According to the CDC, from January 1 to March 7, 2019, 228 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 12 states.
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