Measles confirmed in Santa Barbara county (consider getting vaccinated already)
County Health Department Confirms Measles Case
The County of Santa Barbara Health Department (County Health) has a confirmed positive case of measles related to recent international travel of a county resident. The isolated case was confirmed Monday night and is the first confirmed case since 2019. County Health is actively investigating and coordinating with local healthcare providers and potential exposure to prevent further transmission.
Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a room. Those fully vaccinated have very low risk of infection. People who are not fully vaccinated with two doses of the MMR vaccine, especially young children and pregnant people, are at the highest risk of infection.
Who May Be at Risk
Anyone who is unvaccinated or has not completed the two-dose MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine series.
Infants younger than 12 months, who are too young to be routinely
Pregnant individuals who are not immune to
People with weakened immune systems, regardless of vaccination
Measles Symptoms
A person with measles is contagious from 4 days before the rash appears and 4 days after it disappears.
Symptoms typically appear 7 to 14 days (up to 21 days) after exposure and include:
Initially cough, runny nose, and red/watery eyes (conjunctivitis)
Rash typically appears 3-5 days after the first symptoms, starting on face, hairline and neck, spreading down to trunk, arms and legs
High fever (may spike above 104 ° F when the rash appears).