A student at Derby Middle School has been diagnosed with measles, according to Birmingham Public Schools. The school district sent out a letter sent to alert parents about the diagnosis on Sunday and the news is now spreading throughout the neighborhood.
One of the residents Bruce McClure said, “We came across it on Facebook. It was a little bit of a concern and a shock.” He said he is keeping tabs on the outbreak as it continues to spread across several cities.
With this confirmed case within the neighborhood, McClure and his family decided to get the second dose of MMR to protect themselves from measles.
He said, “We decided this week that we’ll go on over probably just to our immediate care physician and get the shot there.”
Public health officials said students were exposed to measles all day on March 29. They have been getting constant updates on more and more cases.
Currently, the number stands at 39 in Oakland and Wayne Counties.
Birmingham Public Schools said it has been working with the Oakland County Health Department in regards to the outbreak.
According to Michigan law, all students are required to get vaccinated with two doses of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.
If your child is fully immunized or has a documented medical diagnosis of previous illness, make sure you provide a copy to your school office so that officials can include it in their health record.
If you suspect symptoms of measles, call the ED or physician’s office before you arrive so that the doctors can take precautionary steps needed to prevent the infection in other patients.
According to public health officials, the vaccine is effective within 72 hours of exposure.
Usually, the symptoms of measles begin seven to 14 days after getting exposed but may appear after 21 days, according to health officials. Signs and symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, a runny nose, red and watery eyes, white spots on inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth, and a rash. Medical director for Oakland County Health Division Dr. Russell Faust said, “Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infection. Immunizations are the best way to protect our families and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, particularly in light of recent outbreaks nationally and worldwide.”
