Health Officer Update: Measles outbreak in Washington and flu vaccine reminders

Dr. Herbie Duber is the health officer for Kitsap Public Health District. In addition to his work in public health, Dr. Duber serves as a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington and is an attending physician at UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Hello and welcome to my February Health Officer Update.

It has been my privilege to serve as interim health officer for the Health District over the past six months, and I am thrilled to have been appointed to fill the position on a permanent basis.

My plan for the next few months is to do a lot of listening. I will continue to engage with Health District employees, meet with partners, and hear from residents to learn about our needs as a community and how we can work together to make Kitsap a safe and healthy place for all. I hope to connect with you soon!

Measles outbreak in Washington

Unfortunately, Washington state is experiencing a measles outbreak. As of Feb. 9, 19 measles cases have been confirmed across four counties, including seven cases linked to an outbreak in Snohomish County. More than 700 cases have been reported in the United States already this year – a far higher number of cases than were reported over the same period in any of the last four years. 

No cases have been reported in Kitsap County so far.

The situation is changing rapidly. You can check the Washington State Department of Health’s measles page for the latest information about measles in our state.

Measles is one of the most infectious diseases on the planet. It spreads easily through the air from person to person, and the virus can linger in the air for hours. 

Most people who get measles recover and do well. However, some people – especially young children – can become severely ill and die from measles or suffer from long-lasting health complications. When there are many measles cases in a community, some people will have severe disease. 

Fortunately, the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine is highly effective and extremely safe. One dose of MMR is 93% effective for preventing measles infection and two doses are 97% effective. 

The best thing you can do to protect your family from measles is to check your immunization records and make sure you are up to date on MMR. 

It's not too late to get a flu shot

We are still very much in the midst of flu season. Emergency department visits associated with flu have increased in Kitsap and statewide since December. We were saddened to report last week that a young child in Kitsap County died from a flu-associated illness in January. 

I recommend getting a flu vaccine, especially if you are at risk for severe illness from flu.

Learn more and keep in touch

You can watch my full report to the Kitsap Public Health Board by clicking on the video below or on Vimeo. You can read past Health Officer Updates on our blog. 

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Have a question or want to get in touch? Email pio@kitsappublichealth.org. 

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