January 04, 2024
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health says people may have been exposed to measles at six locations, including the emergency department at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, in late December and early January.
Philadelphia health officials are warning of possible measles exposures tied to a cluster of confirmed cases among the city's unvaccinated residents.
There are four confirmed measles cases and two more possible cases, the Department of Public Health said Thursday. Those cases include the one confirmed Dec. 19 at the Jefferson Health office at Ninth and Chestnut streets. That case prompted an initial warning late last month.
The two possible cases are connected to a measles case in which an infected person was sent to a day care in Northeast Philly, a failure to adhere to quarantine instructions, city officials said. Two of the people confirmed to have measles were hospitalized and released.
To prevent the spread of measles, health officials are working to identify people who may have been exposed, checking their vaccination statuses and issuing quarantine and exclusion orders, when necessary.
City officials say people may have been exposed to measles at these six locations at the following dates and times:
• Jefferson Health building, 33 S. Ninth. St. — Dec. 19, 2-5:30 p.m.
• Multicultural Education Station Day Care, 6919 Castor Ave. — Dec. 20-21
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Emergency Room, 3401 Civic Center Blvd. — Dec. 28
• St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children Emergency Department, 160 E. Erie Ave. — Overnight Dec. 30 to mid-afternoon Dec. 31
• St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children inpatient unit 5 North, 160 E. Erie Ave. — Dec. 31 to Jan. 3
• Nazareth Hospital Emergency Room, 2601 Holme Ave. — Dec. 31 and Jan. 2
Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to measles should quarantine by staying home and away from others, city officials said. People who have not received both doses of the MMR vaccine, which prevents measles, mumps and rubella, are advised to talk with their health care providers about receiving the necessary doses.
Two doses of the MMR vaccine, which has been safely used for decades, are 97% effective at preventing measles.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by a virus. Symptoms usually appear 7 to 14 days after a person is infected. They include a runny nose, puffy eyes, cough and a fever. The initial symptoms are often followed by a rash.
The measles virus can linger in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. For some, the illness can develop into a more serious disease that can leads to brain swelling, pneumonia or death.
In Philadelphia, about 93% of children are fully vaccinated against measles by age 6, city officials said. About 90% of unvaccinated people who come in close contact with someone with measles will become infected. About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people who get measles are hospitalized.
"Unfortunately, we are seeing cases of measles that have spread to vulnerable individuals including young children due to people declining vaccination and also failing to adhere to quarantine recommendations," Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said. "We are asking all city residents who may have been exposed to measles to do their part to ensure that no additional infants are harmed by this infection."
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