ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Students at Issaquah high school learned late Wednesday everyone who was around the school last Monday through Thursday (May 6 to May 9) could have been exposed to the measles virus.
Issaquah School District cancelled classes at the school Thursday, May 16, after learning a staff member worked at the school while she was infected, and didn't realize she was sick.
On Thursday afternoon, the Issaquah School District announced staff provided necessary documentaiton of immunization and that the school will be open Friday.
Initially, we all thought it was a student," said senior Sophie Kirkegaard. "We started asking my teacher about it, like, 'Hey! What's going on? This is really serious."'
Issaquah High students told KIRO 7 they didn't get clear answers when they asked staff for details.
On Wednesday, the district confirmed a staff member has measles, but a district spokesperson said they would not reveal more about her specific position, or in which classrooms she worked.
KIRO 7 learned that to be hired by Issaquah Public Schools, all staff members must fill in a document confirming exact dates they were immunized for diseases like measles.
Kirkegaard found out late Wednesday that classes had been cancelled for Thursday, so all Issaquah High School staff members could gather documentation from health care providers to prove they have been vaccinated.
The State Health Department says there are five new measles cases, two in King County, two in Pierce County and one in Snohomish County.
While the exact sources and locations of the measels infections are not known, all the new cases spent time in SeaTac Airport when they were likely infectious. Read more about the individual cases below.
[ Find the statewide measles count here. ]
Pierce County
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department announced Sunday that a man in his 40s was diagnosed with measles. The patient had been to SeaTac Airport and a meeting at Orting High School. To read locations of potential exposure, follow this link.
A second case was announced Wednesday. The patient is a man in his 50s that spent time in the Puyallup area while contagious.
King County
A woman in her 40s and a woman in her 50s have been diagnosed with measles, according to the Washington State Department of Health. The Issaquah School District confirmed that one of the patients is an employee at Issaquah High School. Potential locations of exposure are listed below. Read more here.
Snohomish County
The Snohomish County Health District is currently investigating a confirmed measles case in an adolescent male. Health officials say he is a student at North Creek High School in Bothell. Potential places of exposure are listed below. Read more here.
School district officials said Wednesday evening that the district has been working the Snohomish Health District to review student vaccination records.
According to their records, they said almost 99 percent of North Creek students have received the MMR vaccine.
The school district has contacted families of students who have not received the vaccination.
"These students will be excluded from school until June 3, barring any additional confirmed cases," the district said.
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