From our telephone triage staff this morning:
Did you see this? We may have measles in Pittsburgh.
Already had 2 calls from worried moms.
Kaitlynn Riely explains:
The Allegheny County Health Department announced today that a case of measles has been reported in Pittsburgh, and that although most are not at risk thanks to vaccinations, people who took a certain Port Authority bus last week may have been exposed.
The person with the measles, who was exposed to the disease in New York state, took the 64 Port Authority bus leaving Fifth and South Highland avenues in Shadyside and going toward Lawrenceville at 9:12 a.m. last Friday, Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole said in a news release.
Anyone who rode the bus between 9 and 11 a.m. that day may have been exposed to measles, which is caused by a “highly contagious virus,” Mr. Cole said.
Those at risk include anyone born since 1957 who has not received two doses of the measles vaccine known as MMR, including infants who have not yet received their shots;, people vaccinated with an inactivated vaccine between 1963 and 1967 without being re-vaccinated with the active shot later; and those who have not been vaccinated.
My emphasis in bold above indicates children who may be at risk of contracting measles if exposed.
This is a good example of why immunizing your children (and yourselves) protects them from those who may not be healthy or mindful of others. As much as parents would like, they can’t control everything their children are exposed to.
(Back pat: Terri Otteni)