By Dr. Evan Buxbaum

Pediatrician at Island Primary Care Orcas

A measles outbreak in West Texas has resulted in the deaths of an unvaccinated school-aged child and an adult, raising alarms for public health officials across the country. San Juan County is at increased vulnerability to a measles outbreak given our community’s low vaccination rate.

Recent data for the 2023-2024 school year reveals that only 82.7% of kindergarteners in San Juan County are fully immunized. This falls short of the 95% vaccination rate needed to achieve herd immunity against measles, one of the most contagious diseases known to medicine.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus can remain for up to two hours after an infected person has left the room.

Symptoms of measles include high fever, runny nose, cough and a distinctive rash all over the body. Anyone who suspects they or their child might have measles should call their health care provider immediately and isolate before arriving at a medical facility.

While some may dismiss measles as a minor illness, it can cause serious health complications, especially in children under 5 years old. The recent deaths in Texas serve as a stark reminder of the potential severity of this disease. Prior to the development of widely available vaccination, 4-5 million people a year developed the disease in the United States, resulting in 48,000 hospitalizations and 400-500 deaths annually.

The MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine has decades of proven safety and effectiveness. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles in exposed individuals. After the first vaccine, approximately 94% of children are protected.

The standard vaccination schedule includes a first dose between 12-15 months of age and a second dose before starting school between 4-6 years of age. However, during outbreak situations or before traveling to areas with measles cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that administering the second dose early — at least 28 days after the first dose — is an acceptable alternative.

If you’ve been delaying vaccination for your child, even if you have a personal belief or religious exemption, public health officials strongly encourage you to reconsider. The current situation presents a critical opportunity to protect both your family and the broader community should a measles outbreak occur on the islands. It takes two to three weeks for the measles vaccine to reach its maximum protection, so the time to get vaccinated is before an outbreak begins.

Vaccines are provided at no cost to all children through age 18 in Washington state. Parents can:

• Contact their child’s primary care provider.

• Schedule an appointment with San Juan County Health and Community Services vaccine clinics on Orcas, Lopez and San Juan islands. Call 360-378-4474 or visit https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/420/Vaccine-Preventable-Diseases-Immunizatio.

• Adults needing the MMR vaccine should contact their medical provider or County Health and Community Services for more information.

If there is an outbreak on the islands, our community’s health depends on collective action. By increasing our vaccination rates, we can protect not only our own families but also vulnerable community members who cannot be vaccinated.