Public Health Seattle & King County is sounding the alarm after two county residents who recently traveled abroad tested positive for measles. The pair moved through public spots in Seattle, Kirkland, and Bellevue while infectious, and investigators are now working through the painstaking job of tracking down close contacts. Health officials say they do not yet know the vaccination status of either person.
The county confirmed the infections and published detailed exposure guidance, which quickly drew local media attention. According to KIRO 7, the county’s measles resource page lists every public place the two patients visited and notes these are the first measles cases reported in King County this year.
Where People May Have Been Exposed
Public Health’s consolidated exposure list covers a mix of public venues and specific areas inside Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and it urges anyone who was at those locations during the listed times to keep an eye out for symptoms. The county’s PDF of potential exposure sites includes Sea-Tac and other stops around the region; you can see the full list on Public Health Seattle & King County.
Why Officials Are Urging Caution
State health officials say measles activity is up in Washington this year, and outbreaks in nearby counties make local spread more likely. The Washington State Department of Health is tracking cases and clusters across several counties, while separate reporting has flagged slipping kindergarten MMR vaccination rates in parts of the state. Coverage gaps in specific communities were highlighted by Axios, which noted that King County’s kindergarten MMR rate has now dropped below the traditional herd immunity threshold.
What To Do If You Were at the Sites
If you were at any of the listed locations during the posted times, health officials say you should call your provider before showing up at a clinic and watch for fever, cough, red eyes or an unexplained rash. Measles symptoms typically appear 7 to 21 days after exposure, and people can spread the virus from about four days before a rash shows up until four days after it begins. The CDC notes that two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles…