Public health officials have confirmed the first measles case of the year in a King County resident. The infected child was at a Virginian Mason Franciscan Health urgent care center in West Seattle on Monday, according to a Friday post from Public Health — Seattle & King County. Anyone who was at the facility (located at 4755 Fauntleroy Way Southwest) between 3:30 and 8 p.
m. that day might have been exposed to measles, the department said. The child was not vaccinated with the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) shot and had traveled internationally, said Dr.
Eric Chow, the county’s chief of communicable diseases. “While this is our first case, I think it’s also important to acknowledge that measles exposures can still occur,” Chow said. If you were in the Franciscan Urgent Care center at that time, public health officials recommended the following steps: Measles is very contagious and mainly spreads after an infected person coughs or sneezes.
It can cause fever, rash, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, and can lead to ear infections, diarrhea and pneumonia, according to public health officials. Those at highest risk of measles complications include infants and children under 5, adults over 20, pregnant people and people with weakened immune systems from medications or underlying conditions. Most people in the region have immunity through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low.
Still, Chow emphasized a growing need to double down on MMR vaccinations.
