Locations of Potential Exposure to the Public
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 08/12/25 | 11:14 AM - 5:27 PM |
Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric and Adult Emergency Departments |
| 08/13/25 | 6:02 PM - 12:54 AM |
Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric and Adult Emergency Departments |
| 08/15/25 | 9:30 AM - 8:27 PM |
Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric Oncology & Hematology Specialty Clinic |
| 08/24/25 | 6:08 AM - 10:41 AM |
Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric and Adult Emergency Departments |
08/12/25
- Time
- 11:14 AM - 5:27 PM
- Location
-
Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric and Adult Emergency Departments
08/13/25
- Time
- 6:02 PM - 12:54 AM
- Location
-
Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric and Adult Emergency Departments
08/15/25
- Time
- 9:30 AM - 8:27 PM
- Location
-
Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric Oncology & Hematology Specialty Clinic
08/24/25
- Time
- 6:08 AM - 10:41 AM
- Location
-
Providence Sacred Heart Pediatric and Adult Emergency Departments
I Have Been Exposed to Measles — Now What?
Watch for symptoms
Everyone, whether immune or not immune to measles, should watch for measles symptoms.
Measles symptoms appear 7 to 21 days after being exposed to the virus.
Stage 1
Lasting 2-4 days, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes
Stage 2
Lasting 7-10 days, begins with the appearance of a rash. The non-itchy rash has raised, red spots that start on the face and spread downward, covering the body, arms, and legs.
If you develop symptoms,
If you develop any measles symptoms (runny nose, redness or watery eyes, cough, fever, or rash), you should isolate immediately, away from others.
Why?
You can spread the disease to others 4 days before the rash appears through 4 days after the rash appears (or longer, if you are immunocompromised).
If you need to seek care, you should call your doctor to inform them that you have been exposed to measles and have symptoms. The office will help you make special arrangements to get a physical evaluation without exposing other patients and medical office staff.
What is the treatment for measles?
There is no cure for measles.
Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and managing any serious conditions that can develop. This may include medications to control fever or pain, IV fluids, antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, and vitamin A supplements
If given within 6 days after exposure, Immune globulin (IG) can help prevent or lessen measles. It is mainly for people who could get very sick, like babies under 1 year old, pregnant people who aren’t protected, and people with very weak immune systems. Most others who already got at least one measles shot after their first birthday don’t need IG.
Check your immunization status
Check your immunization status to find out if they are immune or not immune to measles, which greatly impacts how likely they are to “catch” measles.
The quickest way to access all records for vaccines received in Washington state is to sign up for Washington state’s free immunization record website MyIR Mobile. If you have trouble accessing vaccination records through MyIR, call 833-VAX-HELP for assistance. You can also contact their healthcare provider or the pharmacy where vaccinations were given.
The following individuals would be considered immune to measles:
- People who were born before 1957
- People who have recovered from a prior confirmed diagnosis of measles
- People who have received 1 or 2 doses of MMR vaccin
The following individuals would be considered not immune to measles:
- Those who do not have documentation of any doses of MMR vaccine and were born in/after 1957.
- Those who are immunocompromised, regardless of vaccination status, may not be immune to measles and are at high risk of becoming ill. Immunocompromised people may not have complete immunity, even if they are vaccinated, and may need to quarantine. If you are unsure if you are immunocompromised, please contact your medical provider.
Should I quarantine after being exposed to measles?
If immune to measles,
you are at low risk of “catching” measles, even if exposed, and will not need to quarantine after an exposure.
If not immune to measles or have an unknown immunization status,
you are considered to have a high risk of catching measles. In a room of 10 non-immune people, measles will infect 9 people. You should quarantine for 21 days after your last exposure. This includes not going shopping, to work, to school, to religious services, or being with others outside of the immediate household for the full 21 days after you were exposed.
If immune globulin (IG) is given, the quarantine period is 28 days. IG provides passive antibodies that can help prevent or lessen measles, but it also delays the incubation period because it slows down how quickly the virus can multiply in the body. This means if someone is going to get sick, it might take longer for symptoms to appear — up to 28 days after exposure.
General Information
What is measles?
Measles is a virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages like the nose, mouth, and throat, and spreads throughout the body.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles symptoms appear 7 to 21 days after being exposed to the virus.
Stage 1 lasts 2-4 days, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes.
Stage 2 lasts 7-10 days, begins with the appearance of a rash. The non-itchy rash has raised, red spots that start on the face and spread downward, covering the body, arms, and legs.
How does measles spread?
Measles is highly contagious. Someone who is infected can spread the disease to other people before noticing any symptoms, especially in the four days before and after a rash develops. The virus spreads easily by sharing the same air with an infected person, especially if that person coughs or sneezes. The virus remains contagious in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours.
Is there a treatment for a measles infection?
There is no cure for measles.
Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and managing any serious conditions that can develop. This may include medications to control fever or pain, IV fluids, antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, and vitamin A supplements
If given within 6 days after exposure, Immune globulin (IG) can help prevent or lessen measles. It is mainly for people who could get very sick, like babies under 1 year old, pregnant people who aren’t protected, and people with very weak immune systems. Most others who already got at least one measles shot after their first birthday don’t need IG.
Potential long term side effects of measles infection
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a very rare but deadly disease that affects the brain and nervous system. It happens when someone gets a measles infection earlier in life, and the virus stays in the body and causes problems later on.
Preventing a measles outbreak in our community
Herd immunity protects a community from outbreaks by preventing the virus from spreading person to person. For measles a vaccination coverage of 95% is required to prevent the virus from spreading.
Whitman County's vaccination rate is only 72.2%, leaving the community vulnerable to outbreaks.
Preventing measles in your family
The Highest Protection
The most effective way to protect against measles is with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles and protection is long-lasting.
The MMR vaccine is much safer than getting a measles infection.
Immunization
MMR
Two doses of the MMR Vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles, and protection is long-lasting.
Children need 2 doses of MMR vaccines:
12–15 months old
1st dose
4–6 years old
2nd dose
It is especially important that high-risk adults, such as healthcare professionals, college students, people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, or those preparing for international travel, confirm they’ve previously received two doses to be fully protected.
Anyone traveling internationally should be fully vaccinated at least 2 weeks before traveling.
- Infants 6–11 months old should get 1 dose of the MMR vaccine before travel. Then they should get 2 more doses after their first birthday.
You can check MMR immunization status by:
Visit Your Local Pharmacy, Clinic, or School
Most healthcare providers, schools & pharmacies in Washington use the Washington State Immunization Information System. Please check with them to ask if they can give you a complete immunization record for you or your child. They can print it from the Immunization Information System or from their own medical record system.
Signing up for MyIR Mobile
Sign up for MyIR Mobile by going to myirmobile.com and follow the registration instructions. Your registration information will be used to match your records with the state immunization registry. You will be sent a verification code on your phone to finalize the process. Once registration is complete, you'll be able to view your immunization records and Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS).
Request a Complete Immunization Record from Whitman County Public Health
If have vaccine records in Washington State, you can submit a request online Immunization Records Release Request. We can access your records and send them to you by email, fax, or mailing address. Once a request has been submitted, we will reach out to you with more information.
Finding the MMR Vaccine:
If you believe you need the MMR vaccine, please call your healthcare provider or local pharmacy.
If your healthcare provider or local pharmacy does not have the MMR vaccine or is unable to complete your request for vaccination in a timely manner, please contact Whitman County Public Health's Disease Prevention Team. We can:
- Help you find where to get an MMR vaccine quickly in our community.
- For all children and uninsured adults, WCPH’s Whitman County Community Clinics - located in Pullman and Colfax - offer low-cost to no-cost vaccinations for MMR. We will walk you through how to get an appointment scheduled with us over the phone or email. Or, you can determine eligibility and schedule online here.