Washington state has recorded more than double the number of measles cases in the first two-and-a-half months of the year compared to the 12 total cases reported in all of last year.
There have been 28 reported cases of measles so far this year. Half of the current year’s cases have been reported in Snohomish County.
The surge in cases comes as health experts at UW Medicine warn that the virus is spreading among children, often before visible symptoms like a rash appear.
The early stages of measles can be difficult to identify because the virus often mimics other common illnesses. Initial symptoms typically include a runny nose, inflamed eyes and a fever. A characteristic rash might not appear until several days after the onset of these symptoms.
“Prior to that rash, kids going around with runny noses could be spreading measles,” said Dr. Shireesha Dhanireddy, medical director of UW Medicine’s Infectious Diseases Clinic. “That’s the concern when there’s not enough people vaccinated against this.”
The rising case counts have caused concern for local families, including Alison Bailey of Tacoma. While her 7-year-old child is vaccinated, her seven-week-old newborn is not yet eligible for the vaccination.
“I don’t want measles in my house,” Bailey said. “As a parent, it’s terrifying to think that I could take my kid to the grocery store and she could get measles.”
Bailey expressed frustration with the lack of vaccinations.
“You can’t just sit in a bubble at home all the time either. Really, you got to go out, you got to get groceries, you got to put gas in your car.”
Health officials with the state have expressed that the vaccine is the best defense against the virus.
“The vaccination levels aren’t getting better,” said Dr. Alex Greninger, the head of infectious disease diagnostics at UW Medicine. “So this might be a little bit of a new normal.”
Greninger said health officials are monitoring future travel patterns and large-scale events that could further increase cases in the region.
“We look ahead and so we know the World Cup is coming here to Seattle,” Greninger said. “We know the cruise season is big. We know people like to come here when the weather’s really nice. And so, those are all signs of potentially more cases to come.”
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