Idaho’s first case of measles in a resident since 2023 was confirmed Tuesday in Kootenai County in an unvaccinated child.
The news comes days after wastewater in Coeur d’Alene tested positive for the disease, and as measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates have plummeted in Idaho.
The Kootenai County case is the first in the Panhandle since 1991, according to the Panhandle Health District. The health district is working to identify how the child contracted measles, and it’s contacting the locations where the child visited while infectious.
Eastern Idaho saw a case of measles in an unvaccinated international traveler earlier this month. That person self-isolated during the contagious period and the health district did not expect exposure to the public outside of household contacts, according to an Eastern Idaho Public Health news release.
Thousands of Idaho students will return to school in the coming weeks. Here’s what state epidemiologist Christine Hahn wants patrons to know about measles.
Wastewater testing for measles is extremely common as an early detection tool, said Hahn. But it doesn’t always mean that positive test will turn into an active outbreak. Like in Eastern Idaho, the positive test could come from someone traveling through the community.
“The positive wastewater detection is just a signal that measles is in the community somewhere,” Hahn said. “In the summer we worry about the travel and then starting in the late summer and fall… we worry about teachers or students bringing it into the school.”
In Idaho, confirmed vaccination rates for measles has been dropping for at least the last five years.
While vaccination rates have fallen nationwide, Idaho stands out among kindergarteners, Hahn said. Hahn cautioned that not all students who have an exemption or an unknown status are unvaccinated.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean the kid is unvaccinated. The parent might not want to turn over their medical records to the school,” Hahn said. “As we talk to schools now, (and say) ‘Hey let’s get ready for fall,’..one thing we say is ‘You will want to know as best as possible which kids are protected.'”
It’s up to schools whether a student will be excluded from class because of an illness. When it comes to measles, alerting unprotected children’s parents to an exposure quickly is key, Hahn said. Having a prepared list of those students helps.
“We worry about- Are schools ready?” Hahn said.
At the Coeur d’Alene School District, staff and families will be notified if a measles case is identified. Susceptible students — those without documented measles immunity — will then get an exclusion notification via email and text, said Stefany Bales, communications director.
Exclusion decisions are made by school health staff, Bales said. Students will be excluded if they don’t have documented immunity and they were present during the contagious period of a confirmed measles case. Documented immunity requires two doses of the MMR vaccine, a blood test showing antibodies, or proof of having measles prior.
The process is initially the same whether it’s a single case or an outbreak, Bales said. The district will continue monitoring the case or cases until no new cases occur for at least 21 days, she said. Vulnerable students are identified at the start of the year to allow for faster communication if there’s an outbreak, Bales said.
About the measles:
Measles is highly contagious. The virus spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes and can stay airborne for two hours. Symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure and include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a distinctive rash.
Learn more about the disease here.
When it comes to getting the vaccine, Hahn understands parents’ hesitancy. A now-debunked study — which incorrectly linked MMR vaccines to autism — spread concerns about vaccination for decades. At the same time, parents were told that measles had been eradicated.
“Those two messages together (and) parents are saying ‘Well, why would I take any risk?” Hahn said. “But now measles is here and parents should reconsider.”
She added the vaccine has been highly studied and is very safe.
Nationwide, there have been 1,356 confirmed cases of measles this year, and 92% of people who contracted the disease were not vaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. The disease was officially eliminated from the United States in 2000, meaning the disease was not spreading within the country, according to the CDC.
It was eliminated due to high vaccination rates nationwide after the vaccine was licensed in 1963. When more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, most people are protected through herd immunity.
One in six people that get measles are hospitalized, Hahn said. There have been 3 deaths this year.
Hahn noted that there is a three-day window following an exposure in which the vaccine will have significant protection. Adults who are unsure or don’t have documentation of their vaccination status can get the vaccine again, Hahn said, noting that’s what she did.
She encouraged parents who are hesitant about the vaccine to discuss the situation with a trusted health care provider.
