SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County public health leaders have joined 12 neighboring jurisdictions in urging measles vaccination amid an uptick in cases at state and national levels.
The Association of Bay Area Health Officials, which includes representatives from Santa Cruz, wrote in a recent release that the best protection against measles is two doses of the measles-mumpus-rubella vaccine, which provides protection for life. Local officials urged the public to get the shot and to watch for symptoms after exposure or travel.
“The best way to protect yourself and your family against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases is by getting vaccinated,” said Santa Cruz County Health Officer Lisa Hernandez in the release, shared through Santa Cruz County’s Public Health Division.
According to the release, distributed last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had documented 64 cases of measles within 17 jurisdictions across the country in 2024, with 90% of the cases linked to international travel. By Tuesday, those figures had been updated on the CDC’s website to 97 cases across 18 jurisdictions as of March 28.
The California Department of Public Health had confirmed five measles cases in the state as of March 20. County public health spokesperson Corinne Hyland told the Sentinel Tuesday that there are currently no cases in Santa Cruz County.
According to the Bay Area health officials’ release, most cases in the United States have been among children age 12 months and older who had not received the measles vaccine. Cases have been circulating in many regions across the globe that are hubs for tourism and business.
Given the Bay Area’s three major airports and status as a popular international travel destination, the officials wrote, the region is at increased risk of exposure. Risk of an infection becomes heightened for individuals or families that plan to travel internationally who are also not vaccinated.
Information about international locations experiencing an outbreak is available on the CDC’s website at cdc.gov and the officials have encouraged travelers to plan early for international journeys. Parents should consult with their child’s health care provider prior to travel, the officials wrote.
Measles symptoms include a fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis also known as “pink eye,” followed two to four days later by a rash. The virus is transmitted through direct contact with infectious droplets or through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The droplets can linger in indoor air for several hours, according to the release.
Those returning to the U.S. from international travel should monitor for symptoms for at least three weeks.
According to the CDC, about one in five persons infected with measles require hospitalization and almost one in three of every 1,000 infected children die from respiratory and neurologic complications. The risk of a measles infection is greatest among children 5 years old and younger, adults older than age 20, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems.
However, the officials wrote, vaccination remains highly effective and is recommended for children 12 to 15 months old with a second dose administered sometime from age four to six. Infants that are six to 12 months old can start vaccination prior to international travel, officials noted in the release, adding that teenagers and adults with no evidence of immunity should get vaccinated right away.
According to historical data from the CDC, 1,274 individual measles cases were confirmed across the country in 2019 — the highest total reported in the U.S. since 1992. That year, a Santa Cruz County resident positive for measles landed at San Francisco International Airport and was treated in a facility outside of Santa Cruz County once they got off the plane.
Cases sharply declined in 2020 amid the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching a total of 13 across eight jurisdictions followed by 49 cases in 2021, 121 in 2022 and 58 in 2023.
The health officials did note that measles vaccination rates are high in the Bay Area. According to a vaccination tracker from the CDC, more than 96% of California kindergarteners had received the measles vaccine as of the 2022-2023 school year.
The health officials suggested that those with questions about the vaccine or immunization records check in with their health care provider.