Health officials say Long Island’s high measles vaccination rate should help prevent further spread after a confirmed case in Suffolk County.
The Suffolk County health department reported Tuesday that a child under the age of 5, who was unvaccinated, tested positive for measles. The patient has since been discharged and is recovering. Officials believe the case is travel-related.
Potential Exposure and Monitoring Efforts
County health officials, in coordination with the state health department, are monitoring and investigating potential exposure. They estimate that around 12 people may have been exposed but believe widespread transmission is unlikely.
“We have identified where the spread would have occurred, and we don’t see any particular issues,” said Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott.
The child was treated at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Those who visited the pediatric emergency department on March 3 or 4, or the inpatient Medicine 3 Unit from March 3-6, may have been exposed.
Vaccination and Prevention
With measles cases rising in parts of the country, including New Jersey, health officials anticipated the possibility of local cases.
The measles vaccination rate in Suffolk and Nassau counties is nearly 82%, and pediatricians continue to emphasize the safety and importance of immunization.
“We are, of course, concerned for all unvaccinated children in this situation,” said Dr. Scott Saint-Amour of RBK Pediatrics.
Health officials stress that maintaining high vaccination rates is key to preventing outbreaks.
Measles remains a highly contagious virus, recently spreading across western Texas, where a young child died from the disease.
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