HELENA — A case of measles has not been reported in Montana in almost 35 years, but health officials are preparing for that to change. Cases of the extremely contagious disease are being reported in locations closer and closer to the Treasure State.
“I am going to knock on wood and say I hope we don’t see a case here,” Drenda Niemann, health officer for Lewis and Clark Public Health said. “However, we are preparing as if we will see a case.”
A measles vaccine was developed and introduced in 1963, and the disease was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. But before the vaccine was introduced, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said each year, measles infected as many as 4 million people, sent almost 50,000 to the hospital and killed between 400 and 500 people.
“It’s a highly contagious illness that has serious consequences,” Dr. Tom Strizich, a pediatrician with Partners in Pediatrics, said.
Measles can lead to serious health complications like pneumonia and encephalitis, which is swelling of brain tissue that can leave lasting damage and be fatal.
“The complications of measles are what we worry about the most,” Strizich said.
With the number of measles cases rising across the country, Lewis and Clark Public Health is focusing attention on certain groups.
“The most highly-susceptible environments—and those we are most concerned about—are schools and daycares,” Niemann said.
Niemann said county health officials have been working with area schools and daycares to get plans in place in case measles reaches Lewis and Clark County.
“The goal is to be fully prepared and ready to go if and when Lewis and Clark does get a case,” she said.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, measles is one of the most contagious of all known infections. Health officials also say it is a very preventable infection, thanks to vaccination.
“One dose is about 93 percent effective in preventing measles,” Strizich said. “When you get the second dose, or booster dose, that increases to 97 percent.”
According to the most recent data from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, statewide vaccination rates among students are above 90 percent, but there are people who cannot be vaccinated, like babies under one.
“Our community has good vaccination rates,” Niemann said. “So, at this point, I think we just need to focus on those who are under-vaccinated or not vaccinated at all.”
LCPH recently put up a webpage with information about measles, vaccination and more. If a case is found in the county, Niemann said more information will be published to help people determine if they could have been exposed, and what their next steps should be.
