OCEAN COUNTY – The state has confirmed a case of the measles in Ocean County.
A Lakewood man, 27, developed measles after a visit to Israel, health officials said.
Anyone who visited these Lakewood locations may have been exposed:
• Schul Satmar, 405 Forest Ave., Oct. 13- 21 from 1-4 p.m. daily
• Eat a Pita, 116 Clifton Ave., 7-10 p.m. Oct. 15
• CHEMED Health Center, 1771 Madison Ave., 3-6 p.m. Oct. 17 and 10:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 18
Anyone who has not been vaccinated or has not had measles is at risk if they are exposed. “Two doses of measles vaccine are about 97 percent effective in preventing measles,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan said.
“We urge everyone to check to make sure they and their family members are up-to-date on measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine and all other age-appropriate immunizations. Getting vaccinated not only protects you, it protects others around you who are too young to get the vaccine or can’t receive it for medical reasons. If you’re planning an international trip, the World Health Organization recommends that adults or adolescents unsure of their immune status get a dose of dose of measles vaccine before traveling,” Tan said.
According to the CDC, measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through coughing and sneezing. Those infected show a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and sore throat before breaking into a rash that spreads over the body.
The disease is remains fairly common all over the world, including in parts of Europe, Asia, the Pacific and Africa. The CDC reports there are 19 cases per 1 million people each year; about 89,780 people die from measles annually.
In the United States, the disease is most often brought in by unvaccinated people who traveled overseas, the CDC said.
Measles is preventable through the MMR vaccine.
More information on vaccinations can be found at www.ochd.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Immunization-information.pdf
