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Oakland County declares end of measles outbreak

One of the first things to think about is how many different reasons these parents have, and many different communities that they're coming from," said Mark Navin.
Rido / Adobe Stock
One of the first things to think about is how many different reasons these parents have, and many different communities that they're coming from," said Mark Navin.

The measles outbreak in Oakland County is over.

Officials announced Wednesday that the months-long outbreak has successfully been contained.

The outbreak started in March after an infected traveler visited Michigan. Forty-four cases of measles resulted from the exposure; 40 of the cases were in Oakland County, and patients ranged in age from eight months to 63 years old.

Other cases have been confirmed in Wayne and St. Clair Counties.

In a press release, Oakland County Health Division officer Leigh-Anne Stafford said the department is thankful for the help it received.

“The end of this outbreak is a true testament to the work of Health Division staff and our invaluable community partners. We are thankful that this outbreak has ended, and hope it also serves as a reminder of how important getting vaccinated is to prevent future outbreaks in Oakland County.”

Oakland County has a relatively high vaccination waiver rate, which made citizens susceptible to infection.

But community leaders worked quickly to provide vaccination clinics to those who needed it. The department says more than 3,300 measles (MMR) vaccines have been administered since March.

The CDC reports 2019 has already seen the highest number of measles cases reported in the U.S. since 2000. Other states with reported cases are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington.

Copyright 2019 Michigan Radio

Emma is currently the online news intern at Michigan Radio. In addition to covering news, she assists with The Environment Report and other programs. Emma is a senior at the University of Michigan majoring in Communication Studies and Screen Arts & Cultures, and plans to pursue radio and digital journalism in the future. When she's not at Michigan Radio, Emma can be found at various coffee shops around Ann Arbor.