Statewide Iowa — (RI) — The Iowa Department of Public Health has confirmed a case of measles in Iowa. Department Medical Director, Doctor Caitlin Pedati, says privacy laws prevent them from releasing detailed information, but she says they can give a few details.
Doctor Pedati says they moved quickly to ensure this case doesn’t spread.
This is the first case of measles in Iowa since 2011. Pedati says they are not concerned that this will turn into a larger outbreak.
She says measles can spread very quickly among those who have not been vaccinated.
Measles vaccinations are given to kids who are between 12 and 15 months old. A second booster is given between ages of four to six years old and Pedati says the vaccine is 94 percent effective after the first round and 97 percent after the second. She says the C-D-C recommended the second vaccination be given back in 1989.
The Centers for Disease Control says nationwide from January 1st to April 11th, 2019, there have been 555 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 20 states. This is the second-greatest number of cases reported in the U-S since the disease was wiped out in 2000. Other states which have reported measles cases are:Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.
