MILWAUKEE — A southern Wisconsin infant has died from measles, marking the first such death in the state in more than 30 years, officials from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Thursday.
Details about the infant, including their age or vaccination status, will not be released by Wisconsin DHS to protect the privacy of the family and the child, state health officials said in a news release obtained by TMJ4 News.
Wisconsin DHS would only say the infant’s death — the first since 1990 — was "associated with the ongoing measles outbreak" in southern Wisconsin and added the coroner "listed the immediate cause of death as measles."
"It is with a heavy heart we are reporting the first death of an infant connected with a measles outbreak in Wisconsin in many years. My heart is broken for the family," said DHS Secretary Kirsten Johnson in a prepared statement. "Any death of a child is a tragedy and even more so when it is related to a vaccine-preventable disease."
While most people recover within two or three weeks after contracting the highly contagious virus, unvaccinated people, children younger than 5, pregnant people and the immunocompromised run the risk of complications from the disease, including ear infections, seizures, pneumonia, immune amnesia, brain damage and ultimately, death.
The infant’s death comes amid a widespread measles outbreak, state health officials said. As of Nov. 3, DHS has reported 431 measles cases in 13 counties so far this year — the highest number of cases seen in the state in more than 35 years, according to Wisconsin DHS. At least nine people have required hospitalization due to measles, health officials said.
Wisconsin DHS urged unvaccinated residents to get the MMR vaccine, as vaccination is the best way to prevent measles.
While the two-dose series of the MMR vaccine has a 97% efficacy rate against infection, about 3 in every 100 people can still get infected if exposed to the virus for a prolonged period of time, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccinated individuals will usually develop milder symptoms and are less likely to spread it to others, according to health officials.
Anyone exposed to measles, or who has developed a fever and rash after exposure to the virus, is asked contact their health care provider, but they should call ahead before visiting a clinic or hospital so steps can be taken to prevent exposing others, state health officials said.
People who got vaccinated against measles before 1968 should also talk to their health care provider about possibly getting a booster as the vaccine used before that year wasn't as effective.
Wisconsin residents can check their vaccination records to make sure they and their families are up to date on recommended vaccinations. They can find their vaccination records online using the Wisconsin Immunization Registry or by contacting their health care provider or local health department.
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