The Georgia Department of Public Health said Friday that three more cases of the measles have been diagnosed in Cobb County, and that testing is underway on another possible case.
Two of those new cases involve two individuals who were unvaccinated, and the vaccination history of the other person is “unclear.”
The news comes after Georgia DPH announced last weekend a measles diagnosis for a person later identified as a Mabry Middle School student. That student was not vaccinated.
The Cobb County School District asked any unvaccinated students to stay away from school until Nov. 22, but declined to identify how many individuals that may involve, citing federal student privacy laws.
The district also declined to answer questions from East Cobb News if any of the new confirmed measles cases involve enrolled students. A district spokeswoman issued this statement:
“The District continues to operate at the direction of the Georgia Department of Health. We do not diagnose measles, outside of official notification from Cobb parents that their child has been diagnosed with measles, all questions should be directed to the Georgia Department of Public Health.”
When East Cobb News followed that response to ask the initial question a second time, the spokeswoman did not respond.
According to a post on the Transfiguration Catholic Church Facebook page Friday afternoon, the East Cobb parish had a confirmed measles case at its 6 p.m. Mass last Sunday, Nov. 10.
In Friday’s announcement, Georgia DPH said the three individuals may have exposed others between Oct. 30-Nov. 13. Public health officials said that “it is highly likely” those people “are all related, but the investigation into any linkage is ongoing at this time.”
Georgia DPH said in its release it does not believe the new cases are related to the case involving the Mabry student.
Thus far in 2019, 11 measles cases have been reported in Georgia, more than in the previous decade combined, and four of them have been in Cobb County.
Here’s more from today’s release by Georgia DPH:
“These additional cases of measles should be highly concerning for anyone who is not vaccinated with MMR. Measles is a serious disease, one which can lead to dangerous complications, even death,” said Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H. “The MMR vaccine is safe and about 97% effective in preventing measles. Vaccination is strongly advised for individuals not only to protect themselves, but to protect vulnerable populations – such as infants who are too young to be vaccinated and those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.”
Measles spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Droplets from the nose or mouth become airborne, or land on surfaces where they can live for two hours. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 90% of the people around him or her will also become infected if they are not vaccinated.
Measles starts with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. Then a rash of tiny, red spots breaks out. It starts at the head and spreads to the rest of the body.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends children receive their first dose of MMR vaccine between 12-15 months of age and a second dose between 4-6 years old. More than 95% of the people who receive a single dose of MMR will develop immunity to all three viruses. A second dose boosts immunity, typically enhancing protection to 98%.
Adults who are not sure about their measles immunity should speak to their health care provider.There is no harm in getting another dose of MMR vaccine if you may already be immune to measles (or mumps or rubella).
People with symptoms of measles should contact their health care provider immediately. DO NOT go to the doctor’s office, the hospital, or a public health clinic without FIRST calling to let them know about your symptoms. Health care providers who suspect measles in a patient should notify public health immediately.
For more information about measles and measles vaccine, log on to https://www.vaccines.gov/diseases/measles or https://www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html.
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Cobb County commissioners job is to protect the community. They have only been ignoring this dangerous situation. They are part of this problem. They have the power to enforce what happens in our schools but they do nothing = health crisis.