33 percent of Washington’s measles cases in county

A new measles case reported last month has pushed Clark County to the highest number of confirmed cases in the state, prompting public health officials to look for ways to address the county’s declining vaccination rates. The additional case on Aug. 13 in an unvaccinated child did not have any public exposure locations, Communications Manager Marissa Armstrong said. In total, 18 measles cases have been confirmed in Clark County this year, accounting for 33 percent of the state’s total case count, interim Health Officer Brianna da Silva Bhatia told the Clark County Council, which acts as the Board of Health, on Wednesday. She pointed to the obstacles families must overcome to obtain vaccinations for their children. “We have to remember it takes a lot of time and effort for a parent to find a pediatrician, call the office, get an appointment, take time off of work, get their child to this appointment. They are important barriers for a lot of people,” da Silva Bhatia said. The first cases of measles in Clark County this year were reported in early January after a student infected with the virus showed up for class at Ridgefield High School. By February, seven cases were linked to the Ridgefield outbreak. An additional case was logged in February after a resident who was infected traveled out of state but was not in the county while contagious. Eight measles cases were reported in July and two additional cases were identified last month. Sixteen of the 18 cases involved people, mostly children, who were unvaccinated; the vaccination statuses of the other two cases were unknown. Public Health Advisory Council member Emily Estes said the group wants to explore ways to increase vaccination rates and noted that the Clark County Council has played a role in community vaccination efforts in the past. In the 2024-25 school year, about 83 percent of K-12 students were up to date on their overall vaccinations in Clark County, the lowest completion rate for vaccines in the past five years, according to data from the Washington State Department of Health. By comparison, 92 percent of Clark County K-12 students had completed required vaccinations in the 2019-20 school year. Councilor Sue Marshall said the council should evaluate other states with higher vaccination rates to find effective strategies and suggested looking at possible legislation as well. In 2019, the state approved a measure that would remove parents’ ability to claim a personal or philosophical exemption to vaccinating their children for measles after Clark County experienced a severe, monthslong outbreak that totaled 73 cases and cost about $3.4 million to fight, according to a 2021 study by the CDC, Clark County Public Health, Public Health Seattle and the Washington State Department of Health. “Measles is clearly preventable,” Marshall said. “If we can focus our energy on increasing those immunization rates, that would be great.” Virus spreads through air Measles is a highly contagious and potentially serious illness caused by a virus. The virus spreads through the air after a person with measles coughs or sneezes. A person with measles can spread the virus before they show symptoms and the virus can linger in the air after someone who is infectious has left. Measles symptoms begin with a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash that usually starts on the head and spreads to the rest of the body. A person exposed to measles will begin to get sick about one to three weeks after exposure. People are contagious up to four days before and after the rash appears. Public Health urges people who are not protected against measles to get vaccinated. Residents who have questions about the vaccine or are unsure whether they are protected should talk to their healthcare provider. Vaccination records are also available through the state’s MyIR Mobile system. Measles poses the highest risk to people who have not been vaccinated, including infants younger than 12 months. The MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine provides the best protection against measles. One dose of the vaccine is about 93 percent effective at preventing measles. Two doses are about 97 percent effective. Measles can be serious for all age groups. However, children younger than 5 and adults older than 20 are more likely to suffer from measles complications.

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