The number of measles cases in the state has grown to four as of Thursday morning, prompting state health officials to declare a measles outbreak.
Dr. Robert Rosenbaum, state medical director for EMS and preparedness, says that the declaration of a measles outbreak happens when the number of cases exceeds three instances. While Delaware’s case numbers are small, declaring an outbreak gives public health officials more options to address the situation.
"It allows us to respond at a more accelerated level,” he says. “It allows us to mobilize some additional resources. So it's an important thing for us to improve the nimbleness of our response and the ability to address this in a much more proactive manner.”
The first instance of measles - the state’s first in more than ten years - was announced on Monday, with a second case identified on Tuesday. All four cases identified so far have been among unvaccinated men in Kent County. Rosenbaum says that contact tracing is underway.
“Our epidemiologists are very active in trying to make those connections, and we will continue to do this contact tracing to identify any other patients who are at risk or any other cases that have developed,” he says.
The best way to avoid measles, he adds, is to make sure that you are fully vaccinated.
“It is highly effective, and we encourage patients who are either unvaccinated or have an incomplete vaccination series to consider talking to their healthcare provider, and maybe this is the time to initiate or complete that vaccine series,” he notes.
Vaccines may be available through primary care providers, pharmacies, and public health clinics.
Signs of measles begin to show in one to two weeks after exposure to the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include a fever, cough, and runny nose, followed by a rash.
