Virginia reports first measles case: What families need to know

RICHMOND,Va.—TheVirginiaDepartmentofHealth(VDH)confirmeditsfirstcaseofmeaslesinvolvingachildwhorecentlytraveledinternationallyandlivesintheShenandoahValleyareaearlierthismonth. Dr.SeanMcKenna,anassociateprofessorofgeneralpediatricsattheChildren’sHospitalofRichmondatVCU,toldCBS6heismostworriedabouttheunvaccinated,asotherstatesareexperiencingoutbreaksofthedangerousvirus. Rightnow,VDHreportsabout95percentofVirginia’skindergartnersarevaccinated. “Wemayhave,generallyspeaking,95%acrossthestateofVirginia.Buttheremaybepocketswhereit’scloserto80%,85%[vaccinated],andthosearethepocketsthataregoingtobringmeaslesin,andthat’swhenitcanspreadmorebroadlyinVirginia,”Dr.McKennaexplained. Measlesishighlycontagiousandspreadswhenaninfectedpersonbreathesorcoughs. Thefirstsymptomsincludeafeverandarashthatstartsonthefaceatthehairlineandspreadstotheneck,trunk,arms,legs,andfeet.Acough,runnynose,orred,itchyeyesmayalsobepresent. Sym