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Public health emergency declared over Clark County measles outbreakFree

Number of confirmed cases up to 19; declaration follows news of exposure at Trail Blazers game

By Wyatt Stayner, Columbian staff writer

Published: January 18, 2019, 6:15pm

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Clark County declared a public health emergency Friday over a growing measles outbreak following news that a person contagious with measles attended a recent Portland Trail Blazers game.

Clark County Council Chair Eileen Quiring declared the public health emergency to ensure Clark County Public Health has proper resources to continue its response, and so the department has access to additional resources outside the area, according to a Clark County news release.

“We’re in a race against the virus,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, director of Clark County Public Health.

In the latest measles update from Public Health, the the department warned that anyone who was at the Moda Center for a Portland Trail Blazers game from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 11 may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus.

Measles exposure sites

Clark County Public Health released the following list of locations where people may have been exposed to measles in the Portland-Vancouver area:

Health care facilities:

• The Vancouver Clinic Salmon Creek, 2525 N.E. 139th St., Vancouver.

4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 23.

8:15 a.m. to noon Jan. 18

• Gresham Troutdale Family Medical Center, 1700 S.W. 257th Drive in Troutdale, Ore., from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Jan. 23.

• Legacy-GoHealth Urgent Care Cascade Park, 305 S.E. Chkalov Drive, Vancouver, from 6:25 to 10:15 p.m. Jan. 22.

• Legacy-GoHealth, 22262 N.E. Glisan St., in Gresham, Ore., from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 20.

• Memorial Urgent Care, 3400 Main St., Vancouver, from 4:30 to 7:50 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19.

• Kaiser Cascade Park, 12607 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver.

12:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19.

7 p.m. Jan. 15 to 2 a.m. Jan. 16.

1 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 12.

• Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center Emergency Department, 2211 N.E. 139th St., Vancouver.

11:40 p.m. Jan. 14 to 5:10 a.m. Jan 15.

5:45 p.m. Jan. 13 and 12:30 a.m. Jan. 14.

8:30 p.m. Jan. 12 to 1 a.m. Jan. 13.

• Kaiser Orchards Medical Office, 7101 N.E. 137th Ave., Vancouver,

1:55 to 6:10 p.m. Jan. 14.

1:50 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24

• Rose Urgent Care and Family Practice, 18 N.W. 20th Ave., Battle Ground, 3:45 to 8 p.m. Jan. 14.

• PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Emergency Department, 400 N.E. Mother Joseph Place, Vancouver.

12:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 13.

10 p.m. Jan. 12 to 4 a.m. Jan. 13.

• The Vancouver Clinic, 700 N.E. 87th Ave., Vancouver.

9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 14.

4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13.

10:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 12.

3:30 to 7 p.m. Jan. 11.

• Vancouver Clinic Columbia Tech Center, 501 SE 172nd Ave., Vancouver, from 11:30 am to 4 pm Friday, Jan. 11.

• Magnolia Family Clinic, 2207 N.E. Broadway, Suite 200, Portland, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 8.

Schools and child care facilities:

• Orchards Elementary School, 11405 N.E. 69th St., Vancouver, on Monday, Jan. 14.

• Evergreen High School, 14300 NE 18th St., Vancouver, on Wednesday, Jan. 9.

• Slavic Christian Academy, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Vancouver, on Monday, Jan. 7.

• Cornerstone Christian Academy, 10818 N.E. 117th Ave., Vancouver, on Jan. 4.

• Vancouver Home Connection, 301 S. Lieser Road, Vancouver, on Jan. 7; Jan. 8; and Jan. 11.

• Hearthwood Elementary School, 801 N.E. Hearthwood Blvd., Vancouver, on Jan. 7, 9 and 11.

• Image Elementary School, 4400 N.E. 122nd Ave., Vancouver, on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9.

• Eisenhower Elementary School, 9201 N.W. Ninth Ave., Vancouver, on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9.

• Tukes Valley Primary and Middle School, 20601 N.E. 167th Ave., Battle Ground, on Jan. 8.

• Maple Grove School, 601B S.W. Eaton Blvd., Battle Ground, on Tuesday, Jan. 8 and Wednesday, Jan. 9.

• River HomeLink, 601 S.W. Eaton Blvd., Battle Ground, on Tuesday, Jan. 8 and Wednesday, Jan. 9.

• St. Paul Christian Daycare, 1309 Franklin St., Vancouver, Jan. 16, 17, 18 and 23

• Yelena’s Daycare, 17007 N.E. 23rd St., Vancouver, Jan. 22 and 23

Other locations:

• Dollar Tree, 11501 N.E. 76th St., Vancouver, from 8:10 to 10:50 pm Tuesday, Jan. 15.

• Dollar Tree, 7809-B Vancouver Plaza Drive, Vancouver, from 6:30 to 9:10 p.m. Jan. 15.

• Dollar Tree, 305 S.E. Chkalov Drive, Vancouver from 1:10 to 4 p.m. Jan. 21.

• GracePoint Christian Church, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Vancouver, from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7.

• Church of Christ Savior, 3612 F St., Vancouver

9:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 6

6 to 11:30 p.m. Jan. 6

9:10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 13.

• Church of Truth, 7250 N.E. 41st St., Vancouver from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 6.

• Portland International Airport, 7000 N.E. Airport Way, Portland

10:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 7. More specifically, anyone who spent time in Concourse D and the Delta Sky Lounge during that time period.

7:30 to 11 p.m. Jan. 15, baggage claim and south end of the ticket counter (near Alaska Airlines and Starbucks)

• Costco, 4849 N.E. 138th Ave., Portland

1 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 8.

5:30 to 8:40 p.m. Jan. 16

• Amazon Lockers, 1131 S.W. Jefferson St., Portland, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 10.

Rejuvenation, 1100 S.E. Grand Ave. Portland, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10.

Pho Green Papaya, 13215 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Jan. 10.

• Chuck’s Produce, 13215 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 8 to 11:45 p.m. Jan. 10 and 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

• Ikea, 10280 N.E. Cascades Parkway, Portland, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

* Fisher Investments, 5525 N.W. Fisher Creek Drive, Camas

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 10

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 11

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 14

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 15

• Moda Center (Trail Blazers game), 1 N. Center Court St., Portland, from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

• Verizon Wireless at Cascade Station, 10103 N.E. Cascades Parkway, Portland, from 5 to 11 p.m. Jan. 14.

• A Children’s Dentist, 101 NW 12th Ave., Battle Ground, from 1:30 to 6 pm Tuesday, Jan. 8.

• God Will Provide Church, 7321 N.E. 110th St., Vancouver, from 7 to 11 p.m. Jan. 18.

• Fred Meyer, 22855 N.E. Park Lane in Wood Village, Ore., from 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 20.

• Walgreens Pharmacy, 25699 S.E. Stark St., in Troutdale, Ore., from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 23.

• Vancouver Division of Children, Youth and Families, 907 Harney St., Vancouver, from 12:15 to 5:15 p.m. Jan. 18.

• Golden Corral, 11801 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 4 to 9 p.m. Jan. 19.

• Vancouver Woman, Infant and Children (WIC) office, 5411 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 2:50 to 6:15 p.m. Jan. 23.

• Tower Mall public areas (entrances and hallways), 5411 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 2:50 to 6:15 p.m. Jan. 23.

• New Life Mission Church, 3300 N.E. 172nd Place, Portland from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 20.

• Trader Joe's, 305 S.E. Chkalov Drive, Vancouver from 12:30 to 3:40 p.m. Jan. 21.

• Walmart Supercenter, 14505 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver 1:30 to 5 p.m. Jan. 21.

That game — a win against the Charlotte Hornets — was nearly sold out, with 19,393 people attending, according to ESPN.

Other people in the building might have been exposed.

“As this thing grows, we’re going to have more public contacts,” The Moda Center situation highlights the need for us to maintain a high level of immunization,” Melnick said.

Clark County Public Health has now confirmed 19 measles cases since Jan. 1 in its ongoing outbreak investigation, along with seven suspected cases.

The latest update also includes one confirmed measles case in an adult — the first adult case in the outbreak, according to a Public Health news release. The adult is between the ages of 19 to 29.

There are 15 confirmed cases among ages 1 to 10, and three cases among ages 11 to 18. Sixteen cases are unimmunized and three are unverified, according to Public Health.

New exposure sites

Here are the new locations where people may have been exposed to measles:

– Kaiser Cascade Park Medical Office, 12607 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver from 7 p.m. Jan. 15 to 2 a.m. Jan. 16.

– Fisher Investments, 5525 N.W. Fisher Creek Drive, Camas, from 6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 10, 11, 14 and 15.

– Moda Center (Trail Blazers game), 1 N Center Court St., Portland, from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

– Church of Christ the Savior, 3612 F St., Vancouver, from 9:10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 13.

– Verizon Wireless at Cascade Station, 10103 N.E. Cascades Parkway, Portland from 5 to 11 p.m. Jan. 14.

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Public Health also made a correction to one exposure date at Vancouver Home Connection. Here are the corrected exposure dates:

– Vancouver Home Connection, 301 S. Lieser Road, Vancouver, on Jan. 7; Jan. 9 (This is a corrected date.); and Friday, Jan. 11.

Melnick said getting sick people to stay home is key to quelling the outbreak. He urged those who are ill or have measles-like symptoms to call medical providers before visiting medical centers in person.

He also urged those same people to restrict their entertainment choices for the time being.

About the Measles

-Measles symptoms begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash that usually begins at the head and spreads to the rest of the body. A person can spread the virus before they show symptoms. People are contagious with measles for up to four days before and up to four days after the rash appears.

-After someone is exposed to measles, illness develops in about one to three weeks.

“If you have symptoms and you’re ill, don’t go to a basketball game,” Melnick said. “Don’t go to the movies. Don’t go to work.”

While Melnick noted the exposure possibilities at a Blazer game are large, he did mention that hospitals, grocery stores and other locations can also have large groups of visitors.

Since measles is highly contagious, Melnick said any public location can be a dangerous spreading ground, and they all need to be taken seriously.

Hundreds of students have been held out of school due to the outbreak. Clark County Public Health is requiring exclusion of students and staff without documented immunity to measles from seven schools identified as exposure sites:

– Cornerstone Christian Academy, 10818 N.E. 117th Ave., Vancouver, on Jan. 4.

– Vancouver Home Connection, 301 S. Lieser Road, Vancouver, on Jan. 7; Jan. 8; and Jan. 11.

– Hearthwood Elementary School, 801 N.E. Hearthwood Blvd., Vancouver, on Jan. 7, 9 and 11.

– Image Elementary School, 4400 N.E. 122nd Ave., Vancouver, on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9.

– Eisenhower Elementary School, 9201 N.W. Ninth Ave., Vancouver on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9.

– Tukes Valley Primary and Middle School, 20601 N.E. 167th Ave., Battle Ground on Jan. 8.

According to data from the Washington State Department of Health, 291 of the 3,217 students at those seven schools were exempt from receiving the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in the 2017-2018 school year.

Church of Christ the Savior in Vancouver has posted a notice on its website that asks for no children to attend until Feb. 3 or until further notice. It also states that Sunday school and Russian school will be cancelled for two weeks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 90 percent of unvaccinated people exposed to the measles virus develop the disease. The virus lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person, and can survive for up to two hours in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed.

Public Health has identified additional locations where people may have been exposed to measles. There are dozens of locations in total, including hospitals, the Portland International Airport and multiple schools. For a complete list of exposure sites, visit the Public Health measles investigation webpage.

Measles exposure sites

Health care facilities:

Schools and child care facilities:

Other locations:

About the Measles

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