Wyoming’s first reported measles case since 2010 may have exposed some people at the state’s largest hospital to the highly contagious virus, the Wyoming Department of Health said Tuesday.
Health officials confirmed the measles case in an unvaccinated child who lives in Natrona County. It’s unclear how that child was exposed to the virus, according to the health department.
Wyoming’s first case in 15 years comes amid increasing measles outbreaks nationally and in the Mountain West. All of Wyoming’s neighbors, save for Idaho and Nebraska, have reported cases in the past four weeks, according to a tally kept by NBC News.
The infected Natrona County child visited the emergency department waiting room at Banner Wyoming Medical Center in Casper on two occasions last week:
- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 24.
- 12:55 p.m. to 2:55 p.m. on June 25.
People in that waiting room during those times could have been exposed to measles, the health department reported. State health officials were working with the hospital to notify those individuals.
“We are asking individuals who were potentially exposed to self-monitor for measles symptoms for 21 days past the exposure date, and consider avoiding crowded public places or high-risk settings such as daycare centers,” State Health Office Dr. Alexia Harrist said in a statement.
That’s especially critical for people not vaccinated for the measles, mumps and rubella, commonly known as the MMR vaccine.
Measles is notably contagious: Nine out of 10 people near an infected person will become infected themselves without protection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a statement to WyoFile, Banner Health confirmed that a patient with measles visited the Casper hospital.
“We are working closely with state and county health departments to identify those who may have been exposed and take steps to minimize the risk of spread,” the statement read. “Over the past several months, the number of reported cases of measles has increased across the U.S. The health and safety of our team members, patients and visitors remain our highest priority. We will continue to partner with officials at all levels of government and local healthcare to protect and provide the very best care for the communities we serve.”
Measles symptoms, which can appear one or two weeks after exposure, include a rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. The virus can cause serious health complications — especially in kids under 5 years old, according to the CDC.
The measles vaccine is highly effective, with two doses preventing measles 97% of the time, Harrist said.
Vaccination rates, however, have been falling in the United States. The number of school-aged children vaccinated against measles fell from 95% to 92% between 2019 and 2023, according to Harvard Health. Herd immunity for measles requires a 95% vaccination rate, the World Health Organization reported.
In Wyoming, vaccine exemptions have risen since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Meanwhile, the number of Wyoming kindergartners who received the MMR vaccine has ticked down from 97.5% during the 2012-13 school year to 93.5% in 2023-24, according to CDC data.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a vaccine skeptic who’s been criticized for his response to the national outbreak and for his inconsistent stance on the measles vaccine in particular.
I hope I’m alive in 30 years to read what the history books say about this time in history. Trump will try to write his own version, but the world is watching and taking notes. What an embarrassment.
Just another example of Trump making America sick again.
who needs a measles vaccine when you can just consume a bunch of colloidal silver and a dash of ivermectin?
Paul. Ironey here is that measles outbreak coincide with millions of unvaccinated illegals coming across the border. Yet you all continue to deny that fact. That threat has long been spoken about. Yet you all try to point finger at someone else. Virtually all “boomers” plus their kids are vaccinated.
The answer is vaccination, no matter the reason.
Thankfully, I’m vaccinated as are my family members.
Here we are in a country that’s going backwards. Any parent that doesn’t vaccinate their kid, and that kid dies, should go straight to jail.