The Tuolumne County Public Health Department confirmed two measles cases in a day on Wednesday after starting an infectious disease investigation.
The department said the incident involved adults and children under the age of 18 who lived in the same household and traveled internationally. It is unknown whether the individual has been vaccinated from measles. It is a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease, most often associated with high fever and rash.
On Tuesday, the department said it was investigating measles cases at Summerville High School in Tuolumne between March 10 and 11, and at the Adventist Health Sonora emergency department between March 15 and the evening of March 16.
“We understand that there may be a lot of questions and concerns. The investigation is still ongoing and we will provide the latest information available,” county public health director Michelle Jacchetta confirmed the incident in a statement Wednesday. “I want to remind the public that measles is a very contagious disease, and I would like to take steps to protect myself and your family by ensuring the current vaccination status of measles, monitoring your symptoms, and staying home when you feel sick.”
Michael Merrill, director of the Summerville Union High School District, also issued a statement this week that the district “takes the health and safety of our students, staff and our community seriously,” saying the school will work with public health officials “through the process of identifying risks.” More than 430 students attend Summerville High School, according to its website.
The Tuolumne County incident occurred amid a deadly measles outbreak that began in the South Plains and the Panhandle region of Texas in January, and subsequently infected 279, accounting for the majority of more than 300 confirmed cases in 15 states so far this year. A school-age child who has not been vaccinated in Texas died of illness in February.
The California Department of Public Health reported Thursday that at least eight confirmed measles in the state this year. They have not made public the location of the case.
Tuolum County reported some of the decline in the state’s vaccination rates for the 2023-2024 school year, according to data released this week by the state Department of Public Health.
Only 89.8% of Tuolumne County Kindergarten students were up to date on all vaccinations, compared to 93.7% of kindergarteners across the state. Additionally, only 93.1% of kindergarten students received both measles, mumps and rubella shots, which are significantly lower than 96.2% across the state. California typically publishes vaccination rates for a handful of grades, including kindergarten, first and seventh graders.
Public health experts say the 95% vaccination rate, sometimes referred to as “school immunity,” is generally considered the gold standard for disease prevention. A slip of one or two percentage points can create an opportunity for the disease to spread. This means that even if the vast majority of children are vaccinated, it only takes a few cases to cause an outbreak in areas where vaccination rates are below 95%.
California reported a decline in the proportion of kindergarten students vaccinated against measles last year despite strict laws that make it difficult for parents to skip shots for their children. This includes 16 counties where measles vaccinations have fallen below the herd immunity threshold.
The rise in vaccine hesitancy in recent years could be even more difficult, as former state Sen. Richard Pan, a Sacramento Democrat who wrote the California vaccine law, combined with widespread online disinformation and an increase in political sector, could make it even more difficult to promote vaccinations.
“It seems we’re heading in the wrong direction,” Pan said. “Like, “It’s okay,” we feel pretty comfortable. But we suddenly prove to people, it’s not okay. ”
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