Exposure Locations
- 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.
Protect Yourself and Loved Ones
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 or local pharmacy to see if they are able to provide measles immunizations. If you are unable to receive MMR vaccination through your provider, the following clinics are offering MMR vaccine doses.
Titer Testing
If you are unable to locate your immunization records, but believe you have been vaccinated, you can check your immunity through titer testing. Contact your provider before going to a clinic for titer testing.
Visit Instructions
Please follow any instructions provided by the clinic before arriving for your appointment.
What To Bring
Bring your insurance card if you have one.
If You or a Family Member Has Symptoms
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.
About Measles & Current Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
I was exposed to measles. Do I need preventive treatment?
While there is no specific treatment for measles, you may be able to take steps to prevent or lessen the severity of your symptoms. You may also need to quarantine.
If you have been exposed to measles and you do not have immunity from vaccination or previous infection with measles, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can potentially prevent you from developing measles after exposure or could reduce the severity of your symptoms if you become ill.
You can receive an MMR vaccine within 72 hours of your first exposure. If more than 72 hours have passed, you must wait to get the MMR vaccine until after 21 days from the last exposure.
Certain people without immunity to measles should receive immune globulin, a type of antibody treatment. People who should receive immune globulin include:
- Infants <12 months old
- Pregnant people who do not have immunity to measles
- People who are severely immunocompromised, even if they have had MMR vaccine
Immune globulin must be received within six days of exposure.
If you do not know if you should get MMR vaccine or immune globulin, call your health care provider.
If you work in a healthcare setting, notify your employer of your exposure.
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.
| Vaccination / Immune Status | Vaccine Recommendation for People Who Were Exposed | Quarantine Requirement for People Who Were Exposed |
|---|---|---|
| Born before 1957 | You do not need a vaccine. | No need to quarantine. Watch for symptoms. |
| Have had 2 doses* of MMR and are healthy | You do not need a vaccine. | No need to quarantine. Watch for symptoms. |
| Have had 1 dose* of MMR | Get the second dose of MMR as soon as possible. | No need to quarantine. Watch for symptoms. |
| Have had 0 doses of MMR | If you can get MMR vaccine within 72 hours from the date of your exposure, then do so. Do not get the MMR vaccine if beyond 72 hours after exposure until you finish quarantine. | Quarantine through 21 days past last exposure. If you received immune globulin, you need to quarantine for 28 days after the exposure. |
| Have recovered from prior confirmed diagnosis of measles and are considered immune | You do not need a vaccine. | No need to quarantine. Watch for symptoms. |
| Immune-compromised (regardless of vaccination status) | Do not get the MMR vaccine until you are out of quarantine.
If you received immune globulin, discuss when to get vaccinated with your doctor. | Quarantine through 21 days past your last exposure. If you received immune globulin, you need to quarantine for 28 days after the exposure. |
| Unknown | If you can get MMR vaccine within 72 hours from the date of your exposure, then do so. Get a titer (blood draw) to see if you are immune. If you are not immune, get a dose of MMR vaccine as soon as you finish quarantine. | Yes, quarantine until you receive titer results that indicate that you are immune. If titer is negative (meaning you are not immune) or if you do not get a titer, quarantine for 21 days after exposure. |
*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?
Calculate your Quarantine Dates
The length of your quarantine depends on whether you have received immune globulin, a type of antibody treatment.
If you did not receive immune globulin …
On a calendar, find the day you were exposed. Count 21 days (three weeks) forward to the same day of the week. This is the last day of your quarantine, and you must stay away from others through this entire day. The next (day 22) is when you can return to normal activities.
| Example | |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, Aug. 12 is the day you were exposed. | Quarantine lasts through Tuesday, Sept. 2. You can return to normal activities on Wednesday, Sept. 3. |
If you received immune globulin …
On a calendar, find the day you were exposed. Count 28 days (four weeks) forward to the same day of the week. This is the last day of your quarantine, and you must stay away from others through this entire day. The next (day 29) is when you can return to normal activities.
| Example | |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, Aug. 12 is the day you were exposed. | Quarantine lasts through Tuesday, Sept. 9. You can return to normal activities on Wednesday, Sept. 10. |
More Examples: Recent Community Exposures
| Date of Exposure | Quarantine End Date Did Not Receive Immune Globulin | Quarantine End Date Did Receive Immune Globulin |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 8.12.2025 (Emergency Department) | 9.3.2025 return to normal activities | 9.10.2025 return to normal activities |
| Wednesday 8.13.2025 (Emergency Department) | 9.4.2025 return to normal activities | 9.11.2025 return to normal activities |
| Friday 8.15.2025 (Pediatric Oncology) | 9.6.2025 return to normal activities | 9.12.2025 return to normal activities |
| Sunday 8.24.2025 (SHMC Pediatric and Adult Emergency Department) | 9.15.2025 return to normal activities | 9.22.2025 return to normal activities |
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.