An unvaccinated child has measles, according to Clark County Public Health, bringing the outbreak count up to 22. A Monday update from the health department also says: Due to the size of the outbreak, the public health department will send an automated call starting Tuesday to people who have been identified as possibly exposed to measles. Not everyone who may have been exposed will receive the call. The call will come from the Clark County call center at 360-397-8021. Most people will be called at 10:30 a.m. There will be a second round of calls at 1 p.m. for people not reached the first time. The recording will gather information about whether the person who is called has shown symptoms of measles. The health department has also added three more locations to where people might have been exposed to measles: Memorial Urgent Care, 3400 Main St. in Vancouver, from 4:30 to 7:50 pm Saturday, Jan. 19 Orchards Elementary School, 11405 NE 69th St. in Vancouver, on Monday, Jan. 14 Dollar Tree, 11501 NE 76th St. in Vancouver, from 8:10 to 10:50 pm Tuesday, Jan. 15 Since Jan. 1, 21 children have been infected with measles -- the majority of them younger than 11. One adult also has measles. Of those, 19 did not receive a vaccine against measles. One person out of the 22 has been hospitalized. Three people are suspected of having measles, but have not been confirmed yet. The outbreak has hit religious and private schools in Clark County especially hard. Clark County also has one of the worst vaccination rates among all Washington counties, with just 77.4 percent of all public students having completed their vaccinations, state records show. The measles vaccine is highly effective. People can get a precautionary measles shot now or even within 72 hours after exposure to the virus and likely be OK. Clark County health officials are keeping both students and staff who cannot prove they have been vaccinated from the schools linked to the outbreak. Those who are excluded are also not supposed to enter other schools, child care centers or places with lots of people. Even friends and families of students and staff at Evergreen High School and Orchards, Hearthwood and Image elementary schools are asked not to attend any events or games at the schools unless immunized. The Clark County health department has placed this restriction until Jan. 30 for most schools and Feb. 5 for Orchards. To further limit the spread of the virus, which is highly contagious and can hang in the air for up to 2 hours in an enclosed space, health officials ask that people who think they might have measles call their doctor or health care provider before physically visiting a hospital or doctor’s office.<doc-sep>After health officials near Portland, Oregon, declared a public health emergency over a measles outbreak that affects mostly young children, the viral infection continues to spread. Clark County, Washington, identified 34 cases and nine suspected cases; 24 of those are among children younger than 10 years old, officials said Sunday. In at least 30 cases, the infected people were not vaccinated to prevent measles. The immunization status of the other four is not known. The county has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the state: More than 22 percent of public school students did not complete their vaccinations, The Oregonian reported, citing state records. Measles is so contagious that 90 percent of unvaccinated people who come in contact with an infected person will get the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus can spread four days before and after symptoms appear. Officials identified airports, including the Portland International Airport, health care facilities, schools and churches as locations where people might have been exposed to this outbreak. More:Measles outbreak grows in area with low vaccination rate, most patients not immunized The measles two-dose vaccine is 97 percent effective against the virus, according to the CDC. People infected develop a red spotted rash that starts inside the mouth and spreads all over the body. Symptoms include fevers as high as 104 degrees, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. People choosing not to vaccinate have become a global health threat in 2019, the World Health Organization reported this month. The CDC recognized that the number of children who aren't being vaccinated by 24 months old has been gradually increasing. Some parents opt not to vaccinate because of the discredited belief vaccines are linked to autism. The CDC said that there is no link and that there are no ingredients in vaccines that could cause autism. More:These 15 U.S. cities are hot spots for kids not getting vaccines Contributing: Brett Molina and Joel Shannon. Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets<doc-sep>A measles outbreak in southwestern Washington state has grown to 16 confirmed cases, and most of the children affected are unimmunized against the disease, officials said Thursday. A Clark County Public Health release says officials have been tracking the outbreak since Jan. 1. Of the 16 confirmed cases, 13 of the cases are children under the age of 11, officials say. Only two of the children have an unverified immunization status; the other 14 are unimmunized, officials say. Clark County has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the state, with more than 22 percent of public school students having not completed their vaccinations, The Oregonian reports, citing state records. Contagious patients have visited schools and medical facilities, as well as the Portland International Airport and retailers including the Northeast Portland Costco and Ikea stores. Officials say the disease is highly contagious and can cause fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and rash. "Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. In rare cases, it can be deadly," a Washington State Department of Health fact sheet says. In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 17 outbreaks in the U.S. and a total of 349 cases. People choosing not to vaccinate has emerged into a global health threat in 2019, the the World Health Organization recently reported. The agency cites measles as an example; the disease has seen a 30 percent increase in cases worldwide. "The reasons for this rise are complex, and not all of these cases are due to vaccine hesitancy," said WHO in a statement. "However, some countries that were close to eliminating the disease have seen a resurgence." Contributing: Brett Molina, USA TODAY; The Associated Press<doc-sep>
Another unvaccinated child under 11 years old is the 23rd person to have measles in a Clark County outbreak. The county public health department said Tuesday that two more people are suspected of having measles and identified four more locations where people might have been exposed to the disease. Kaiser Cascade Park Medical Office, 12607 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver from 12:30 to 7:30 pm Saturday, Jan. 19 Dollar Tree, 7809-B Vancouver Plaza Drive, Vancouver from 6:30 to 9:10 pm Tuesday, Jan. 15 Portland International Airport, baggage claim and south end of the ticket counter (near Alaska Airlines and Starbucks), 7000 NE Airport Way, Portland from 7:30 to 11 pm Tuesday, Jan. 15 Costco, 4849 NE 138th Ave., Portland from 5:30 to 8:40 pm Wednesday, Jan. 16 On average, more than one person a day has been diagnosed with measles since Jan. 1 in an unusually large outbreak. Of the 23 people who have measles, 18 of those are 10 years old or younger. Only one is an adult. Nearly all never received a vaccine against measles. One person has been hospitalized. The highly contagious virus spreads through the air and can linger for up to two hours in an isolated space. People who have never received a measles vaccine are susceptible to the disease, which can at times be deadly. The measles vaccine is highly effective. People can get a precautionary measles shot now or even within 72 hours after exposure to the virus and likely be OK. This outbreak has hit the Evergreen School District in Clark County especially hard. Clark County has one of the worst vaccination rates in Washington with just 77.4 percent of all public students in the Vancouver area having completed their vaccinations, state records show. Clark County health officials are keeping both students and staff who cannot prove they have been vaccinated from the schools linked to the outbreak. Those who are excluded are also not supposed to enter other schools, child care centers or places with lots of people. Even friends and families of students and staff at Evergreen High School and Orchards, Hearthwood and Image elementary schools are asked not to attend any events or games at the schools unless immunized. The Clark County health department has placed this restriction until Jan. 30 for most schools and Feb. 5 for Orchards. To further limit the spread of the virus, health officials ask that people who think they might have measles call their doctor or health care provider before physically visiting a hospital or doctor’s office. Due to the size of the outbreak, the public health department will send an automated call starting Tuesday to people who have been identified as possibly exposed to measles. Not everyone who may have been exposed will receive the call. The call will come from the Clark County call center at 360-397-8021. Most people will be called at 10:30 a.m. There will be a second round of calls at 1 p.m. for people not reached the first time. The recording will gather information about whether the person who is called has shown symptoms of measles.