An unvaccinated Anchorage youth tested positive for measles May 21, according to the Anchorage Health Department.
The minor wasn’t attending school but spent time in several public areas while they were likely contagious, according to the health department, which is now asking people to check if they might have been exposed.
Specifically, the health department seeks to warn anyone unvaccinated or who has not received a full series of the measles vaccine and was present at the following locations and approximate times:
O’Malley Sports Center and Fly Trampoline Park, on O’Malley Centre Drive, May 10 from 2 to 6 p.m. 2025
Target store on 100th Avenue, May 11 from 5 to 9 p.m.
YMCA on Lake Otis Parkway, May 12 from 5 to 9 a.m. and May 14 from 6 to 9 a.m.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of measles include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes and a rash, typically starting as flat, red spots. Symptoms can emerge one to three weeks after exposure.
The Anchorage Health Department asks that anyone present at one of the listed dates and times who isn’t up to date with a measles vaccine stay away from hospitals, nursing homes, immunocompromised individuals and large gatherings between May 17 and June 4. They’re also being asked to monitor for measles symptoms, stay away from other people if they or their child gets a fever, and if a child becomes sick, keep them at home until a doctor and school or childcare staff clears them for out-of-home activities.
The department notes that those with measles symptoms should contact their health care provider or emergency department before going in for a visit, so the office can prepare and limit possible measles exposure to other patients and staff.
Measles is one of the most infectious diseases, and anyone unvaccinated who was present during the listed exposure times could be at risk, said Dr. George Conway, Anchorage’s chief medical officer.
“Just a short exposure in even a relatively open, relatively large indoor space or proximity in an open setting could be enough,” Conway said.
Measles is best prevented by a series of two vaccines, typically the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine or the Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella (MMRV) vaccine. The MMR vaccines are typically given to children, the first at age 12 to 15 months and the second between the ages of 4 and 6 years, Conway said. Kids who have gotten their first vaccine on schedule but haven’t yet reached the age for the second vaccine are considered immune, he said.
Those most at risk of serious complications if they get measles are very young, very old or those with underlying health conditions, Conway said.
The health department is encouraging all Alaskans to get vaccinated against measles if they’re not already.
A measles vaccine was first introduced in the 1960s, but today, Conway said, there are still not enough vaccinated Alaskans to create what public health experts call “herd immunity,” despite the vaccine being safe and effective.
“If a disease is highly infectious, then in order to protect your population, you have to have a higher percentage of the population covered,” Conway said. “For measles, that's estimated to be 93 to 95%, and if we look at the coverage in Alaska, depending upon the age cohorts, it's nowhere near that, so that's the central concern.”
According to a recent bulletin from Alaska epidemiologists, only 76% of Kindergarten-age kids in the state were fully vaccinated against measles last year, compared to about 93% of Kindergarteners in the U.S. as a whole.
The United States has seen 14 outbreaks of three or more cases so far this year, according to the CDC, with over 1,000 confirmed cases. Almost all of those cases (96%) were people who were unvaccinated or with unknown vaccination status.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
