The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) confirmed a measles outbreak in Snohomish County – the first in the state since 2023 – with three unvaccinated children ages 23 months to 9 years testing positive for the highly contagious disease.

Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes, or talks. The virus can remain airborne for up to two hours, meaning people can get infected even after a sick person has left the area. Measles can cause serious health complications, especially for babies and young children.

Symptoms (appear 7-21 days after exposure):

• High fever, cough, runny nose

• Red, watery eyes

• Rash which begins on the face and spreads down the body

If you have symptoms or believe you were exposed to measles, call your healthcare provider right away. For infants too young to receive vaccine and susceptible individuals who have been exposed but have not developed symptoms, the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine or immune globulin given within 72 hours of exposure can reduce the risk of developing measles.