Rhode Island Awaits CDC Determination on Measles in State
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is continuing to investigate a potential case of measles in Rhode Island -- a full week after parents and families in Barrington were first informed that they had been in contact with someone who could possibly have the virus.
"We expect the determination later this week," said Christina Batastini, the Chief Officer of Health Promotion at the Rhode island Department of Health. "The CDC was initially notified when lab support was needed with the specimen testing (as reported by MA DPH which is our regional testing lab) on Thursday July 23."
"We identified 59 contacts who were exposed (age range 1 month to 63 years), 29 were determined to be immune, the rest were given post exposure immunizations as appropriate to age," continued Batastini.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBatastini offered the following links for more informatinon:
CDC's Post Exposure Recommendations
CDC's Vaccine Recommendations
"Vaccination is the easiest and most effective way to help protect your child from vaccine-preventable diseases. In Rhode Island, all recommended childhood and adolescent vaccines are supplied at no cost to the patient," said Batastini. "Rhode Island has consistently been recognized for its high childhood vaccination coverage rates; however, the United States is experiencing a resurgence of measles, especially among unvaccinated persons."
HEALTH stated that in the last three years, there has been just one confirmed case of the measles in Rhode Island.
Last month on Martha's Vineyard, a diagnosis of measles, confirmed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, prompted Martha’s Vineyard Hospital into organizing two free vaccination clinics and spurred a full-scale public health alert across the Island, was ultimately found be incorrect.
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