Measles in Arizona: What you need to know

A measles outbreak that started at Disneyland in California is tied to a group that visited the park between Dec. 15 and 20, California health officials reported. By Jan. 19, at least 49 cases of measles had been diagnosed, related to visits to Disneyland or the adjacent Disney California Adventure Park. Of the cases, 42 were in California, with the others found in Utah, Colorado and Washington.

On Jan. 22, it was reported that an Arizona woman in her 50s who had visited the park in mid-December had been diagnosed with measles. As of Jan. 28, seven measles cases have been confirmed in Arizona, with about 1,000 people possibly exposed.

Measles symptoms

Symptoms typically appear seven to 21 days after exposure to measles. They begin with fever (101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher), red and watery eyes, cough and runny nose. They are followed by a rash that is red, raised and blotchy. The rash begins on the face at the hairline and moves down the body. The rash may last for five to six days and may turn brownish.

Source: Maricopa County Department of Public Health

How does measles spread

Measles is easily spread through coughing and sneezing and may survive in the air for hours.

Measles is among the most contagious diseases. People who do not have the vaccine have almost a 100 percent chance of getting the disease if they breathe in the same air as an infected person.

If you think you have measles

If you have a health-care provider, call and let him or her know that you may have been exposed. The health-care provider will let you know when to visit so as not to expose others in the waiting area. If you do not have a health-care provider, you may need to be seen at your local hospital emergency room or urgent-care center. You are advised to call before going to warn that you may have measles. More information on measles' signs and symptoms or where you may find a vaccine is available here.

Source: Maricopa County Department of Public Health

Studies show that parents don't immunize their children because of personal beliefs, skepticism about the medical community or misinformation circulated by like-minded parents.

Many experts point to the now-discredited report by a British doctor in the late 1990s linking the measles-mumps-rubella, MMR, vaccine to autism. The study used falsified data and was retracted from its publishing medical journal, but some parents remain skeptical about the vaccine, according to Will Humble, director of the Arizona Health Services Department.

Do you need a measles vaccine or booster?

As the cases of measles rise around Arizona and the country, many are wondering if they are protected from the virus. Here's what you need to know to protect yourself and your family.

CHILDREN

— According to the CDC, children should receive two doses of the MMR vaccine. The first at 12-14 months and the second at 4-6 years.

— Children can receive the second dose vaccinations at any age as long as they are at least 28 days after the first.

ADULTS

— You should consider a measles vaccination and second dose 28 days later if: you were born after 1957 and have never had one, you are a woman of childbearing age, you are a student, you work in health care or around children.

— You do not need a measles vaccination if you were born before 1957. Most people born at this time either had the measles or were exposed and are therefore now immune.

— You do not need a measles vaccination or booster if you have had measles.

— If you were born between 1957 and 1989, you should consider a booster (second dose). Second doses were first recommended in 1989.

— If you cannot remember if you have had a second shot, you can get a test to see if you are immune or you can get the vaccination. It is safe to receive a third shot.

— There is a 5 percent chance of vaccine failure in people who have only received one shot.

Cost of vaccine

Local pharmacies can give the measles shot, but call ahead to make sure the drugstore has the vaccine in stock. The co-pay will vary depending on your health plan. If you are not insured, expect to pay about $100 per shot.

In Maricopa County, children ages 1-18 and uninsured adults can go to a county clinic for the vaccine.

Jan. 28: Gila County officials were working to identify anyone who might have come in contact with a patient who had measles and visited Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center between 1:30 and 8:30 a.m. Jan. 14. Seven measles cases have been confirmed in Arizona, with about 1,000 people possibly exposed.

Jan. 27: Two more cases of measles were confirmed in Arizona on Tuesday, Jan. 27, and public-health officials in Maricopa and Pinal counties have warned that hundreds more people may have been exposed this month. The outbreak of measles has reached "a critical point," according to Will Humble, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. The outbreak has the potential to be far worse than the state's last measles outbreak in 2008, he said.

Jan. 23: The Pinal County Public Health Services District identified four cases of measles in a Kearny area family and believes the cases are linked to a December visit to Disneyland.

Jan. 22: A woman in her 50s living in Maricopa County tested positive for measles. Officials believe it's likely the woman contracted the disease Dec. 15-20 while visiting Disneyland, which has been linked to an outbreak in California, said Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, Maricopa County's medical director for disease control.

Also, Arizona Rep. Juan Jose Mendez, D-Tempe, introduced a bill to make public schools post the immunization rate among their pupils and whether each school employs a nurse or has another employee perform that role. If a school lacks a nurse, the bill would require it to post the qualifications of the person doing that job.

Jan. 21: Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health, reported that since the end of December, his state has seen 59 confirmed cases of measles — 42 of them linked to visits to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim.

Jan. 20-21:195 people were exposed to measles at Phoenix Children's Hospital's East Valley location in Mesa after a measles patient connected to the outbreak in Disneyland went to the hospital, according to public health officials with Maricopa and Pinal counties.

Jan. 19: At least 42 cases of measles related to Disney had been diagnosed in California, plus three in Utah, two in Washington, one in Colorado and one in Mexico.

Dec. 15-20, 2014: California's health-care agency reported seven people in the state and two people in Utah likely contracted measles on trips to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure between Dec. 15 and 20.

2014: Measles infected 628 people in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2008: The last measles outbreak in Arizona was in 2008, according to Humble.

2000: Measles was declared eradicated in the U.S.

1989 -1991: U.S. doctors diagnosed more than 55,000 measles cases with 166 deaths, according to the CDC. In response, Congress funded the Vaccines for Children Program, providing free shots to low-income kids for all recommended vaccinations.

1960s: The recommended two-dose vaccine began in the 1960s and was slowly implemented. Many people born between 1957 and 1971 may never have gotten the shots or received only one dose, said Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, Maricopa County's medical director for disease control. For adults, the second dose generally follows at least 28 days after the first. It is recommended that children receive their first dose at age 1 and the second dose when they are 4 or 5, so their immune systems have time to build, Sunenshine said.