Preparing for the possibility of measles in NC, what Orange County health experts say
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The CDC reports measles cases in 18 states across the country, and some doctors believe it’s only a matter of time before the illness appears in North Carolina. Now, the Orange County Health Department is preparing doctors to identify and treat an illness most of them have never seen.
These days, many doctors have only seen measles in textbooks.
“We haven’t seen an actual case in our clinics in a long time, and so we’ve lost that memory of what it looks like when a patient has it,” said Dr. Erica Pettigrew, Medical Director of the Orange County Health Department.
Cases are becoming more common across the country, though. According to the CDC, there have been 121 measles cases in 18 states so far this year. That’s more than twice as many cases as all of 2023.
“We haven’t had a case in North Carolina for years now, but we are expecting it any day,” said Pettigrew, who wants to make sure doctors know signs and symptoms to look for and what to do if a patient may have measles.
The Orange County Health Department is planning a measles symposium for healthcare providers in the community. The health department is also working closely with UNC Hospitals.
Pettigrew said it’s important for doctors to plan ahead before a potential measles patient comes in.
“If they have someone in their office, who they suspect may have measles, they need to call the health department immediately and not wait for test results, not wait a day or two. We need them to call immediately,” she emphasized.
She says doctors should consider their ventilation systems and find a room to isolate any potential measles patients. This is especially important in offices that see babies younger than one. Children generally get their first measles vaccine at 12 months old.
“Measles is one of the most contagious viruses that we know about, and so if somebody has measles, 9 out of the 10 people around them who are susceptible to the virus will catch it,” Pettigrew noted. “Over 90 percent attack rate for people who are unvaccinated or immunocompromised, that is extraordinarily high.”
The illness can be serious, “One in five people who are unvaccinated who get measles will end up hospitalized,” Pettigrew said. “One to three people out of every 1,000 who get measles end up dying even with the best care.”
In North Carolina, the childhood vaccination rate is slightly below what Pettigrew said is needed for herd immunity. “Our kindergarteners are vaccinated at a 93.8 percent rate as of last school year,” she explained. “We really want to see at least over 95 percent vaccinated.”
She said some children are delayed in getting vaccines because of the pandemic.
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