Update: Measles Outbreaks Have Spread in 21 States

Cases of vaccine-preventable diseases continue to pile up across the country, with Oregon and Washington being the latest states to report outbreaks of measles. One of the affected children in Washington, whose immunization status was unknown, was diagnosed at an urgent care center in Vancouver in late December. Public health officials in both states are publicizing locations where patients with measles visited in order to encourage people they may have come in contact with to watch out for symptoms and to get tested if any occur. The addition of Oregon and Washington brings the total number of states in which measles has been reported to 21. Multiple states have also reported cases of chickenpox, mumps, and, obviously influenza—all of which are susceptible to immunization. The cover article in the current issue of JUCM addresses this growing concern from an urgent care perspective. You can read Unexpected Viral Illness in an Urgent Care Setting: The Re-Emergence Of Mumps, Measles, and Varicella here.