GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says that three new cases of measles in southeast Michigan led to new exposure sites in Kent County.
The total number of cases in the state is now up to 43 for 2019. The three newly confirmed cases are in Oakland County and Detroit.
MDHHS says that one person with measles was at the Baymont by Wyndham Grand Rapids Airport at 29th Street on April 12 between midnight and 3 a.m. That person was also at the Urgent Care Med Express on Plainfield on April 12 from 1 until 6 p.m.
The outbreak, which began in mid-March, has resulted in 39 cases in Oakland County, one in Wayne County and one in the City of Detroit. In addition, an international traveler was diagnosed with measles following a visit to Washtenaw County, during which time he was contagious. Infected individuals range in age from 8 months to 63 years; a majority of the cases involve adults.
MDHHS is working closely with local health departments to identify possible exposure locations for these latest cases. Michiganders are urged to contact their healthcare provider or local health department about getting vaccinated for measles if they have not been vaccinated.
The measles vaccine is highly effective and very safe. A single dose of measles vaccine protects about 95 percent of children, but after two doses, almost 100 percent are immune. The first of two routine childhood measles vaccine doses is given at 12-15 months of age. A second vaccine dose is given before the start of kindergarten, between ages 4 and 6 years.
If symptoms develop, residents are urged to call their doctor or emergency room before arriving so they can take precautions to prevent exposure to other individuals.
For more information about measles, visit CDC.gov/measles. For more information about Michigan’s current measles outbreak, visit Michigan.gov/MeaslesOutbreak.
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