BREAKING: Delaware declares measles outbreak as state confirms four cases - WBOC TV

What the report says

WBOC TV reports that Delaware health officials have declared a measles outbreak after the state confirmed five cases this week in Kent County. The Delaware Division of Public Health first announced four cases on July 22, after WBOC had reported the first two confirmed measles cases in the state in more than 10 years. According to DPH, the initial four patients were unvaccinated adult men.

WBOC reports that DPH confirmed a fifth Kent County case on Thursday, July 23. That person was fully vaccinated with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and was experiencing only mild symptoms, according to the state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers three or more measles cases linked by time and place to be an outbreak.

DPH said it is conducting contact tracing to identify people who may have been exposed, verify vaccination status and provide guidance or treatment recommendations when needed. Officials have not identified any public exposure sites, but said they would release more information if the investigation finds any. The state urged people who are unvaccinated, pregnant, immunocompromised or too young for vaccination to contact a health care provider or Delaware’s Office of Infectious Disease Epidemiology if they may have been exposed.

The report notes that measles is highly contagious and can lead to severe complications including pneumonia, brain inflammation and death. DPH says two MMR doses are 97% effective for people who are not severely immunocompromised, and Delaware residents can check vaccine records through the DelVAX Public Portal or their health care provider.