Measles case confirmed in Sioux Falls

Published Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015: State health officials urged students and staff at a Sioux Falls elementary school to make sure their vaccinations are up to date following a confirmed measles case this week.

The South Dakota Department of Public Health said Saturday that a student at Holy Spirit Elementary School contracted the virus last week and might have exposed others Thursday.

People who have been exposed and not vaccinated can still be protected if they receive the vaccine within 72 hours of exposure, which means the window in this case closes Sunday.

Falls Community Health offered a free measles vaccination clinic Saturday afternoon. Workers checked the vaccination status for 106 people and vaccinated 85 of those people.

The student who contracted the virus, a girl younger than 10, was unvaccinated because of an exemption, but officials did not say whether it was for medical or religious reasons. She had been sick for more than a week before she was diagnosed, according to Dr. Jennifer Tinguely, chief medical officer for the city of Sioux Falls.

"The child was in school during her infectious period. If we can get people vaccinated within 72 hours of that possible exposure, they will be protected at that point," Tinguelysaid.

Measles can spread person to person through direct contact or through the air by coughing and sneezing. It causes permanent brain damage in one of every 100 patients, and it has a fatality rate of up to three of every 1000 patients, state epidemiologist Lon Kightlingersaid in a media briefing Saturday.

"Measles is a very highly contagious viral disease, probably one of the most contagious of all diseases," Kightlinger said.

Jill Franken, public health director for the City of Sioux Falls, said after notification of the case, the state and city made a plan to conduct the vaccination clinic.

"We have this very urgent window of time right now today with this clinic," she said. "The state brought 500 free doses of the vaccine, which the city is administering."

Frankensaid about 10 staff members were brought in to prep the clinic and give the vaccinations.

"We will have to reassess and re-evaluate if another clinic for vaccinations is needed in the near future," Franken said.

Robert Wehde, president of Sioux Falls Catholic Schools, said he was notified of the case around 5 p.m. Friday and immediate action was taken to alert officials and prevent spreading of the virus.

"Today, I'm concerned for the student, I'm concerned for the family, and I'm concerned for all of those in the community," he said.

About 200 students attend the school and 35 people are on staff, Wehde said.

"We follow state and national guidelines for vaccinations," Wehde said. "Our vaccination rate is well over the state with 99 percent."

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children receive two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine, the first dose between 12 and 15 months of age and the second dose between 4 and 6 years of age.

According to a recent survey, 90 percent of 2-year-olds in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties have the first MMR dose, and 97.9 percent of the state's kindergartners have received both doses.

"Although we have a high vaccination rate, this a very aggressive virus and one of the most contagious," Kightlinger said. "Measles is on an upswing all across the country. And we always have pockets of people who are not vaccinated."

Some adults should also get MMR vaccine; generally, anyone 18 years of age or older who is born after 1956 should receive at least one dose of MMR vaccine unless he or she has been previously vaccinated.

Tinguely said children who haven't yet received their second vaccination should be brought in immediately as well as adults who are not up to date. She added that infants under the age of 12 months who have not received the first dose are protected by maternal antibodies that are passed along from the mother as long as the mother already is vaccinated.

The doctor said because of the low numbers of measles cases in past years, people aren't as concerned with the disease.

"Not seeing it, not being aware of it on a very frequent basis makes people think, 'I don't need to be protected,'