Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is calling for early childhood providers to strengthen measles prevention efforts, contribute to vaccination awareness, and ensure that rapid response procedures are up to date as the number of cases rises statewide.

Currently, Pennsylvania has confirmed more than 570 cases of measles and several counties are experiencing concentrated outbreaks. The state’s Department of Health has a measles dashboard that shows case counts by county.

Measles Symptoms

Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that spreads through the air, often when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can linger on surfaces and in the air for up to two hours. Symptoms include a rash, fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and red, watery eyes. Other severe complications can include pneumonia and swelling of the brain, and some may be hospitalized or die. 

Those infected with the illness are contagious from four days before to four days after the rash appears. Symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure, but it can take up to 21 days to appear.

Vaccines 

Vaccines are the best protection against getting sick from measles, specifically two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, OCDEL said. Two doses provide approximately 97% protection, while one provides 93% protection. Most people who are fully vaccinated will be protected for life.

According to the Pennsylvania code 27.77, a licensed child care facility requires all children, ages 2 months and older, to have an immunization record on file. The record should be provided by the parent from a physician, physician’s assistant, CRNP, the state’s Department of Health, or a local health department. 

The record must contain the dates that the child received all age-appropriate vaccinations. Newly enrolled families have up to 60 days to provide the child’s updated record. If a child has not received vaccinations, acceptable documented exemptions must be on file. For exemptions due to medical concerns, documentation must be provided by a medical professional, while a religious exemption requires a signed and dated written statement from the child’s caregiver.

People who are not immune by either vaccination or documented prior infection have a 90% chance of developing measles after being exposed.

Child care providers should review the immunization status for all children and talk to staff members and volunteers about their status. Proof of immunity includes:

• Documentation of one or more doses of the MMR vaccine
• Laboratory evidence of immunity (blood test) or laboratory confirmation of measles disease
• Birth before 1957; adults born before that year are more likely to have had measles as children and are generally, but not always, considered immune.

Providers should remind families and staff about the vaccination, including where it can be accessed, such as primary care providers, urgent care, pharmacies, federally funded health centers, state health centers, and local health departments.

Prevention and Response 

Providers should promote infection control practices, such as respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, frequent handwashing, and disinfection of high-touch surfaces. Staff and children should be encouraged to stay home when they are ill. Families of unvaccinated children and staff who are exposed to measles should be notified that they may need to stay home for up to three weeks after their last exposure.

If a case of measles occurs, providers should contact their local health department or the state’s Department of Health at 877-724-3258.

For more information, visit The Pennsylvania Key’s website and Trying Together’s recent news post, Measles a Growing Concern as Number of Cases Rises.