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The West Virginia Department of Health has confirmed a case of measles in an unvaccinated Barbour County resident.
State health officials are working closely with Barbour County Health Department staff to investigate the case and conduct contact tracing, according to a news release issued July 31 by the Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department.
As of Friday, the state Department of Health had not released any information about the case.
The Clarksburg agency said it has joined the response as a neighboring county.
“Our agency, as an adjoining county, is fully in collaboration with both county and state officials. There are no reported cases in Harrison County,” the release said.
The department has put local medical providers on notice.
“Currently, out of an abundance of caution, we have alerted county clinicians and other healthcare providers to the presence of measles in Barbour County. We are asking providers to consider measles in patients who present with compatible symptoms,” the release said.
The department also renewed its standing vaccination recommendation.
“As always, our agency recommends being vaccinated against these preventable diseases and offers the vaccine at our clinic,” the release said.
Routine MMR vaccination is recommended for all children, with the first dose at 12 to 15 months and the second at 4 to 6 years. Unless they have other evidence of immunity, adults born in or after 1957 should get at least one dose of MMR vaccine. Two appropriately spaced doses are recommended for health care personnel, college students and international travelers.
For people who plan to travel internationally, the health department said providers should encourage timely vaccination of everyone 6 months or older who lacks evidence of measles immunity. Infants 6 through 11 months should receive one dose of MMR vaccine before departure.
Infants who receive a dose before their first birthday should receive two more doses, the first at 12 through 15 months and the second at least 28 days after that.
Children 12 months or older should receive two doses of MMR at least 28 days apart. Teenagers and adults without evidence of measles immunity should receive two doses separated by at least 28 days.
