LOGAN, Utah — Out of the 41 reported cases of measles in Utah this year, four cases have been detected in the Bear River Health Department’s jurisdiction. Over the weekend, they helped 11 babies who were unvaccinated get treated for possible exposure to the measles virus.
Last Friday, the Bear River Health Department confirmed its first case of measles this year.
"We quickly identified any public exposure locations,” said Jordan Mathis with the Bear River Health Department.
The two spots were the Intermountain Budge Clinic in Logan and Chick-Fil-A in Providence. Mathis said they believed the exposure at the clinic was last Monday, so they worked with Intermountain Health officials to try to find people who might have been exposed and are susceptible to measles.
"Under five years old is where we see some of the most severe symptoms for measles,” explained Mathis. “You’re talking about pneumonia, encephalitis, or infection of the brain, seizures, and/or death.”
Mathis said they prioritized babies under one year old since they can’t be vaccinated, and reached out to those families, asking if they would want a post-exposure vaccine. Along with Intermountain Health and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, they hosted a clinic for them on Saturday to administer the immunoglobulin.
"This is antibodies to a non-immune individual and provides what we call passive immunity,” explained Mathis. “This is a short-term immunity, so it provides the antibodies to the measles virus to that individual, but it doesn’t create the memory.”
The babies still need their two doses of the measles vaccine, maybe on a slightly delayed schedule. Mathis also said this type of post-exposure vaccine treatment is unique, and not something families can typically rely on because there needs to have been known exposure, and medication given within six days of that exposure.
"I think we had 11 families that walked away really happy and a little bit more assured that their child is protected against that exposure,” said Mathis.
Logan resident Nicholas Kateifides has two little kids: a 3-year-old and an 18-month-old.
"I think as a parent, you would be worried because your expectation would be that it’s well known that this particular vaccine protects kids fairly well and that you would hope that everyone is doing their part to keep the community safe,” said Kateifides. “But then you also know that people have a choice, and they can choose not to."
His kids both have one dose of the measles vaccine, so he is not very worried about them falling sick. He is grateful for a health department with solutions like these to help families.
"I think it’s good that the medical community up here is pretty proactive on that stuff, and that when parents have a concern, they’re there, ready to ease those concerns and have solutions to the problems,” explained Kateifides.
"I feel like it’s public health in action,” Mathis added.
