BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) —
For many families, measles may feel like a disease of the past. However, newly confirmed cases in Kern County are bringing concerns for health officials and residents.
“These are actually the first cases in Kern County residents that we’ve had diagnosed with measles since 2004,” said Division Director of Heath Services at Kern County Public Health Kimberly Hernandez.
Kimberly Hernandez with Kern County Public Health says a total of two measles cases have been confirmed, with residents contracting the disease outside of the county during travel before returning with it.
This is the first time Kern County has seen a case in more than two decades.
“So the biggest thing is always the contact investigation, identifying people who may have been exposed to these cases while they were infectious and identifying whether or not they might be immune, if they might be at risk of you know developing measles,” said Hernandez.
According to Hernandez, both people are no longer considered contagious and are not currently self quarantined. Even so, Dr. Puja Vithalani with Kaiser Permanente says, precautions should still be taken.
“The measles vaccine is still widely popular, we recommend it for our kids for the one year vaccine as well as when they’re four and five years old,” said Dr. Vithalani. “If anyone is late on their vaccine, it’s never too late to get it they can contact their doctor and get the vaccine.”
Dr. Vithalani says the highly contagious disease typically spreads through the air and can linger for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area.
Symptoms can appear one to two weeks after exposure and include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that often starts on the face.
However even if someone has the measles vaccine, Dr. Vithalani says people can still contract the disease. Hernandez advising the public on what their next steps should be.
“This is just a really important reminder for our community to check their immunization records, find out if they’re up to date and if they’re not up to date talk to their health care provider about getting vaccinated against measles,” said Hernandez.
For more information about measles and how to protect yourself, click here.
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