DAVIS COUNTY, Utah — Health officials in Davis County are urging the public to get vaccinated against measles after confirming the first case of the illness in the county.
The Davis County Health Department said it received word over the weekend of an adult who contracted measles. The individual reportedly visited a few public places in Davis and Weber counties while "infectious." On Wednesday, they were at the Kid Zone in Clearfield from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Treehouse Children's Museum in Ogden from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Walmart Supercenter on Hill Field Road in Layton from 6:20 p.m. to 7:20 p.m.
The health department said measles can linger in the air for up to two hours, so others who were at the above locations may have been exposed even if they weren't there at the same time.
Symptoms of measles can include a fever, a cough, a runny nose, red or watery eyes, and a rash that usually shows up several days later. The rash typically starts on the head or face before spreading to other parts of the body.
The health department urges anyone who believes they have contracted measles to stay home and contact their health care provider before going in, in order to avoid spreading it to others in the facility.
They're also urging everyone to check their immunization status and get vaccinated if they are not already.
“Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease. The MMR vaccine has been used for decades and is very safe and very effective,” said Sarah Willardson, the director of DCHD’s Communicable Disease and Epidemiology Division. “Being fully vaccinated against measles does more than just protect the person who receives the vaccination; it also protects their family and friends, including children who may be too young to be vaccinated, and it helps limit the spread of disease in the community.”
There are 102 cases in the state of Utah. Data can be found here.
