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Milwaukee suspected measles cases
Milwaukee health officials are tracking a few suspected measles cases – after a confirmed case was reported to the city on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee health officials are tracking a few suspected measles cases – after a confirmed case was reported to the city on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
While the city is contact tracing nearly 600 people who had potential contact with the individual who tested positive, measles is highly contagious – and officials say vaccination rates are down.
"Trying to ensure that we contain any future secondary cases on this – given how contagious it is," said Mike Totoraitis, City of Milwaukee Health Department Commissioner.
Right now, the focus is on prevention.
"Measles is a vaccine preventable disease," Totoraitis said.
Mike Totoraitis
On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Health Department reported the first confirmed measles case in Milwaukee County in more than a decade.
"They are outside of their infectious period," Totoraitis said.
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Now, the priority is tracking down people who may have been exposed.
"If there was one COVID case, we could anticipate two to four additional cases. With measles, the reproductive number we call it is actually as high as eleven to 14," Totoraitis said.
The individual who tested positive made visits to multiple locations in Milwaukee and Waukesha County while still contagious, according to the health department.
"We were able to get lists of names of folks that they thought were at each of those locations during those time frames, that we’ve gone contract tracing," Totoraitis said. "That's 595 contacts we are working through."
Of those contacts, Totoraitis said they have found a few suspected measles cases.
"Runny nose, high fever, tiredness , cough, red-eye, water-eyes," Totoraitis said.
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However, Totoraitis said they are not sounding the alarm just yet – instead giving people a reminder.
"Vaccination rates for childhood immunizations have decreased," Totoraitis said. "Parents and families to look at their vaccination status – and make a plan to get vaccinated."
Vaccination clinic
Milwaukee is having a drive-thru measles vaccination clinic at the Northwest Health Center Drive-Thru Clinic (7630 W. Mill Road) Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. However, it is only for people who visited locations where they could have been exposed.
Individuals who have been at following the locations during the following dates/times may have been exposed to the measles virus:
- Mother of Good Counsel Parish (6924 W. Lisbon Avenue, Milwaukee)Oct. 1 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Oct. 1 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Walgreens (3233 S. 27th Street, Milwaukee)Oct. 2 from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Oct. 2 from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Aurora St. Luke’s Emergency Department (2900 W. Oklahoma Avenue, Milwaukee)Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
- Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
- Aurora Walker’s Point Community Clinic, CORE El Centro, Lotus Legal, Clock Shadow Creamery (130-138 W. Bruce Street, Milwaukee)Aurora St. Luke’s Galleria Building – Breast Imaging, Pre-Admission Testing, Ambulatory Treatment Center, Outpatient Lab Draw StationOct. 4 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Oct. 4 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.