SEATTLE (AP) Measles killed a Washington woman in the spring the first such death in the U.S.in 12 years and the first in the state in 25, health officials said Thursday.
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A combination of health problems, a depressed immune system, and medication interfered with her response to an infection rendering her unprotected from the deadly disease.
“Most likely exposed to measles at a local medical facility during a recent outbreak in Clallam County“.
The agency added that the woman was there at the same time as another person who turned out to have been contagious with the virus. The spokesman goes on to say that they are withholding her age and other characteristics to protect her identity, although they will say that this was not an elderly patient.
The controversial proposal, arising partly from concerns over this year’s Disneyland outbreak, would allow medical exemptions deemed appropriate by the state Department of Public Health. Washington has had 11 measles cases this year, six of them in Clallam County.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said the last confirmed measles death in the USwas reported in 2003.
“This tragic situation illustrates the importance of immunizing as many people as possible to provide a high level of community protection against measles”, Moyer said. However, people with immune systems whose health has been compromised can not be vaccinated against the measles, and are thus more susceptible to outbreaks.
“You should get your kids vaccinated – it’s good for them”, the president said. The state Department of Health immunization program has online information about measles and measles vaccine.
“We really rely on people who can be vaccinated to protect those for whom vaccine protection isn’t available”.
The CDC said that cases of measles have been rising recently, as more adults are opting to not vaccinate their kids.
Others in this condition include people with leukemia or those getting some cancer treatments, Schuchat said. “Your symptoms are invariably determined by your immune system”, he said.
It stressed that no one who had contact with any of the known cases remains at risk. Within about three weeks of exposure to someone with measles, it is possible to develop the disease.
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Just this week, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation outlawing a family’s personal and religious beliefs as reasons to exempt their children from school vaccinations.
