Clark County Measles Outbreak Reaches 49 Cases, Nine Suspected

PORTLAND, OR – The Clark County measles outbreak is now at 49 confirmed cases in Washington as it shows no signs yet of abating. Nine other suspected cases are being investigated.

Two other people – diagnosed in Oregon – have also been linked to the outbreak.

Last week, a case was diagnosed at Minnehaha Elementary School in Vancouver, forcing officials to bar all students and staff who could not prove that they've been immunized.

Get all the latest information on what's happening in your community by signing up for Patch's newsletters and breaking news alerts

Of the 49 confirmed cases in Washington, 42 are people who had not been vaccinated against measles and six cases in which doctors have not yet been able to determine if the person had been vaccinated.

Officials say that there is one case of a person who had one dose of the MMR vaccine.

Also, in a bit of good news, the one person who had been hospitalized, was released.

Of the 49, officials say that 34 of the people are between 1 and 10 years, 13 are between 11 and 18, one is between 19 and 29-years-old, and one is between 30 and 39-years-old.

Washington – particularly Clark County – has had a growing problem with declining immunizations rates.

The number of kindergartners who have been immunized for measles has dropped 12 percent over the past 15 years.

The outbreak has been labeled a public health emergency by officials.

Clark County Public Health wants people to know if they visited any of the following places during certain times, they may have been exposed to measles:

Health care facilities:

• PeaceHealth Urgent Care – Memorial, 3400 Main St.
  • 4:30 to 7:50 pm Saturday, Jan. 19.
• The Vancouver Clinic, 700 NE 87th Ave., Vancouver
  • 9:30 am to 1 pm Monday, Jan. 14.
• Kaiser Cascade Park Medical Office, 12607 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver
  • 7 pm Tuesday, Jan. 15 to 2 am Wednesday, Jan. 16.
  • 12:30 to 7:30 pm Saturday, Jan. 19.
• Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center Emergency Department, 2211 NE 139th St., Vancouver
  • 5:45 pm Sunday, Jan. 13 and 12:30 am Monday, Jan. 14.
  • 11:40 pm Monday, Jan. 14 to 5:10 am Tuesday, Jan. 15.
• Rose Urgent Care and Family Practice, 18 NW 20th Ave., Battle Ground from 3:45 to 8 pm Monday, Jan. 14.
• Kaiser Orchards Medical Office, 7101 NE 137th Ave., Vancouver
  • 1:55 to 6:10 pm Monday, Jan. 14.
  • 1:50 to 7:30 pm Thursday, Jan. 24.
• The Vancouver Clinic Salmon Creek, 2525 NE 139th St., Vancouver
  • 8:15 am to noon Friday, Jan. 18.
  • 4:30 to 9:30 pm Wednesday, Jan. 23.
• Legacy GoHealth Urgent Care Cascade Park, 305 SE Chkalov Drive, Vancouver from 6:25 to 10:15 pm Tuesday, Jan. 22.

Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel in Portland has been removed from the list of potential exposure sites. Public Health learned Randall Children’s Hospital was notified in advance of the potential measles patient and was able to take prevention measures to ensure others were not exposed to the patient.

Schools and child care centers:

• Orchards Elementary School, 11405 NE 69th St., Vancouver on Monday, Jan. 14.
• St. Paul Christian Daycare, 1309 Franklin St., Vancouver, Wednesday, Jan. 16; Thursday, Jan. 17; Friday, Jan. 18; Wednesday, Jan. 23.
• Minnehaha Elementary School, 2800 NE 54th St., Vancouver from 3:45 to 7:45 pm Thursday, Jan. 17. (Given the concern of overlap between the exposure period and the end of the regular school day, Public Health is requiring exclusion of students and staff without documented immunity to measles who were at the school anytime on Jan. 17.)
• Yelena’s Daycare, 17007 NE 23rd St., Vancouver Tuesday, Jan. 22 and Wednesday, Jan. 23.

Other locations:

• Portland International Airport, 7000 NE Airport Way, Portland
  • 7:30 to 11 pm Tuesday, Jan.15. More specifically, baggage claim and south end of the ticket counter (near Alaska Airlines and Starbucks).
• Costco, 4849 NE 138th Ave., Portland
  • 5:30 to 8:40 pm Wednesday, Jan. 16.
• Fisher Investments, 5525 NW Fisher Creek Drive, Camas
  • 6:20 am to 7 pm Monday, Jan. 14.
  • 6:20 am to 7 pm Tuesday, Jan. 15.
• Verizon Wireless at Cascade Station, 10103 NE Cascades Parkway, Portland from 5 to 11 pm Monday, Jan. 14.
• Dollar Tree, 7809-B Vancouver Plaza Drive, Vancouver from 6:30 to 9:10 pm Tuesday, Jan. 15.
• Dollar Tree, 11501 NE 76th St., Vancouver from 8:10 to 10:50 pm Tuesday, Jan. 15.
• God Will Provide Church, 7321 NE 110th St., Vancouver from 7 to 11 pm Friday, Jan. 18.
• Vancouver Division of Children, Youth and Families, 907 Harney St., Vancouver from 12:15 to 5:15 pm Friday, Jan. 18.
• Mountain Air Trampoline Park, 20495 Murray Road, Bend, Ore., 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Saturday, Jan. 19.
• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), 1945 SE Water Ave., Portland from 2:30 to 7 pm Saturday, Jan. 19.
• Golden Corral, 11801 NE Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver from 4 to 9 pm Saturday, Jan. 19.
• New Life Mission Church, 3300 NE 172nd Place, Portland from 9:30 am to 2 pm Sunday, Jan. 20.
• Juniper Swim and Fitness, 800 NE Sixth St., Bend, Ore., 9:30 am to 4 pm Sunday, Jan. 20.
• Word of Grace Bible Church, 1317 NW 12th Ave., Battle Ground from 9:30 am to 2 pm, Jan. 20.
• Trader Joe's, 305 SE Chkalov Drive, Vancouver from 12:30 to 3:40 pm Monday, Jan. 21.
• Dollar Tree, 305 SE Chkalov Drive, Vancouver from 1:10 to 4 pm Monday, Jan. 21.
• Walmart Supercenter, 14505 NE Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver 1:30 to 5 pm Monday, Jan. 21.
• Vancouver Women, Infant and Children (WIC) office, 5411 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver from 2:50 to 6:15 pm Wednesday, Jan. 23.
• Tower Mall public areas (entrances, hallways), 5411 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver from 2:50 to 6:15 pm Wednesday, Jan. 23.

Clark County Public Health has set up a hotline for people to call with questions related to the investigation. The number is 360-397-8021 and is staffed from 9 a.m. through 7 p.m. every day.

They also say that anyone who thinks that they may have been exposed and may have symptoms are urged to call their doctor before going so arrangements can be made to minimize the risk to other patients.
Officials add that anyone with questions about measles infection or the measles vaccine should call their primary care provider or their local county health department:

• Clark County Public Health, 360.397.8021
• Multnomah County Public Health, 503.988.3406
• Washington County Public Health, 503.846.3594
• Clackamas County Public Health, 503.655.8411

Photo via Centers for Disease Control.