Maine child tests positive for measles, first case in state since 2019

CNN
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A Maine child tested positive for measlesofficials said, marking the first case in the state since 2019.

The child who tested positive had received a dose of the measles vaccine, but the The Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a news release Friday that he “considers the child to be contagious out of an excess of caution”.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children receive two doses of the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine; the first dose between 12 and 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years.

Some people can still get measles if they’ve had the vaccine, but those people usually have a milder version of the disease and are less likely to be contagious, according to the CDC.

The Maine CDC listed several places where others could have been exposed to measles, including a “Family Time Dine and Play” at a mall and two medical centers between April 29 and May 1. 21 days and call a health care provider immediately if they have symptoms.

Babies and young children are more likely to get “very sick” from measles, the Maine CDC said on his facebook page.

The agency said it was still awaiting official confirmation of the positive case from the US CDC, according to the press release.

The US CDC said there have been 10 documented cases of measles in eight states so far this year. The case in Maine was the first since 2019, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, thanks to an intensive vaccination program, according to the US CDC website. But vaccination rates in the United States have plummeted in recent years, sparking new outbreaks. An epidemic that began in November in Ohio sickened 85 childrennone of whom were fully vaccinated.

The disease is highly contagious: up to 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to the virus will also be infected, according to the US CDC.