Current Local Outbreak

• Tuesday, Aug. 12, 11:14 a.m.-5:27 p.m., Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric and Adult Emergency Departments
• Wednesday, Aug. 13, 6:02 p.m.-12:54 a.m., Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric and Adult Emergency Departments
• Friday, Aug. 15, 9:30 a.m.-8:27 p.m., Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric Oncology & Hematology Specialty Clinic

• Sunday, Aug. 24, 6:08 a.m.-10:41 a.m., Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric and Adult Emergency Departments

Find out what to do if you have been exposed to measles.

Most people have immunity to measles through vaccination, so the risk to the public is low. However, with confirmation of measles virus locally and potential exposures in Spokane County, you should:

• Check your children’s vaccination status
• Check your vaccination status
• Verify that you and your family are up to date with the measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine
• If you cannot locate your vaccination records, you can do a titer test. A titer test checks to see if you have immunity to a disease by looking at whether you have antibodies for that disease in your blood. Titer testing for measles is available.

Where to Get the MMR Vaccine

Please contact your medical care provider’s office to see if they are able to provide measles immunizations.

Titer Testing

If you are unable to locate your immunization records, you can choose to check your immunity through titer testing. CHAS Health is offering measles titer testing at their Spokane Urgent Care locations.

If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of measles, such as high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash, and you believe you may have been exposed, contact your health care provider.

I was exposed to measles. Do I need to quarantine?

People who were exposed and are not immune to measles must quarantine at home through 21 days after exposure and monitor for symptoms. You may be immune to measles if you have been vaccinated or if you were exposed to measles previously. See the table below to figure out if you need to quarantine. Because people can spread measles to others before the rash begins, someone who was exposed could be contagious now and at risk for spreading the disease to others. 

What is Quarantine?

Quarantine means staying at home and away from other people. This includes not going shopping, to work, to school, to religious services, or being with others outside of the immediate household for the full 21 days after you were exposed. 

Spokane Regional Health District staff will talk with you to review the need to quarantine and help determine the appropriate quarantine dates.

*People vaccinated between 1963 and 1967 may have received a version of the vaccine that was not effective. If you received the inactivated vaccine or are unsure of what vaccine you received during those years, please get another dose of MMR vaccine as soon as possible.

When to Isolate

If you develop symptoms, isolate yourself to prevent others from becoming ill, and call your doctor to let them know you may have measles before you go to their office.

How long do I need to stay in quarantine if I was exposed to someone with measles?

What symptoms should I look for?

Measles symptoms appear seven to 21 days after exposure. All people who were exposed to measles need to watch for symptoms starting on the seventh day after their first exposure and until 21 days after their last exposure.

In the first stage, lasting two to four days, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: 

• Fever
• Runny nose
• Cough
• Red, watery eyes 

The second stage begins with the appearance of a rash. The non-itchy rash has raised, red, spots that start on the face and spread downward, covering the body, arms, and legs. These symptoms usually last seven to10 days.

What should I do if I develop symptoms of measles?

Monitor for symptoms starting the seventh day after exposure through 21 days after exposure.

If you develop any measles symptoms, isolate yourself right away. You can spread the disease to others for four days before you have a rash through four days after the rash appears (or longer, if you are immunocompromised). 

Call Your Doctor’s Office Before Coming In

Call your doctor and inform them that you have been exposed to measles and you have symptoms. Please call on the phone before visiting their office so they can make special arrangements to evaluate you without exposing other patients and medical office staff.

How can I find my vaccination records?

You have a few options for accessing your vaccine records.

What should I do if I received immune globulin after exposure?

Closely monitor for symptoms. People who received immune globulin, a type of antibody treatment, may not present with the classic symptoms and rash, so please call your doctor if you have any symptoms.

You will need to quarantine for 28 days from the last exposure, because the immune globulin can extend the time between being exposed and becoming infected.

When to Get Vaccinated

Wait to get the MMR vaccine for six months if you received immune globulin intramuscularly or wait for eight months if you received immune globulin intravenously. This is recommended because the immune globulin can interfere with your immune response to the vaccine and may make it less effective.

I was exposed to measles and haven’t been contacted by SRHD. What can I do?

If you were exposed to someone with confirmed measles infection and have not been contacted by SRHD, please click this link, answer a few questions, and you will be contacted by the Communicable Disease Investigation and Prevention program at SRHD as soon as possible.

How does measles spread?

Measles is highly contagious and spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs, or sneezes.

What is the treatment for measles?

There is no cure for measles. Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and managing any serious conditions that can develop. This may include medications to control fever or pain, IV fluids, antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, and vitamin A supplements.