Measles in Wake County (Cary: daycare, home, YMCA)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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So a few days ago a Measles case was confirmed in Wake County. It was an unvaccinated teen who had traveled to a part of Europe where Measles is endemic. This person then traveled to a bunch of places including the Cary YMCA and the WakeMed Cary ER.
Just for reference, Measles is among the most infectious diseases in the world - WAY more infectious than the flu. If you put a person with measles in a room with 10 unvaccinated people, 9 of them will get sick. 1 or 2 of every 1000 people who get Measles will die of it, even with first world medical care.
I understand this is an unnecessarily politicized issue but if you have chosen not to vaccinate your children or yourself I urge you to reconsider NOW. I suspect that this will not be an isolated case.
What gets me is that the Cary YMCA has not said anything to its members about this. The teen was at the Y for a couple of 4-hour blocks in a span of 2 or 3 days, which leads me to believe that he/she may be a camp counselor there.
The greatest concern are babies who have not been vaccinated yet. (vaccines are given at 12months). The Y has childcare programs and they have lots of babies there all the time. Including my 7month old daughter who was at the Y at the same time as the Measles Teen, and who incidentally also came down with a fever today, 9 days later. (incubation period for Measles is 9-14 days.) Not saying she is necessarily coming down with measles but gosh it makes me worry.
The greatest concern are babies who have not been vaccinated yet. (vaccines are given at 12months). The Y has childcare programs and they have lots of babies there all the time. Including my 7month old daughter who was at the Y at the same time as the Measles Teen, and who incidentally also came down with a fever today, 9 days later. (incubation period for Measles is 9-14 days.) Not saying she is necessarily coming down with measles but gosh it makes me worry.
As a mom myself, I completely understand your worry and i am sorry you are going thru that. Personally, I am not a litigious person, but if my daughter contracted measles from an infected caregiver whom I paid to provide care, I would sue for every last penny of her medical bills and more. In this case, it should be the YMCA for allowing an unvaccinated person to care for kids (assuming she did, in any capacity, care for kids of any age). The home daycare provider who cares for my kids has to be vaccinated to keep her license - how is that not also enforced at the Y, if not even more so? I hope no one - especially any babies or immunocompromised people - caught it anywhere, but if it spread at the Y, there will be an uproar. And rightly so.
As a mom myself, I completely understand your worry and i am sorry you are going thru that. Personally, I am not a litigious person, but if my daughter contracted measles from an infected caregiver whom I paid to provide care, I would sue for every last penny of her medical bills and more. In this case, it should be the YMCA for allowing an unvaccinated person to care for kids (assuming she did, in any capacity, care for kids of any age). The home daycare provider who cares for my kids has to be vaccinated to keep her license - how is that not also enforced at the Y, if not even more so? I hope no one - especially any babies or immunocompromised people - caught it anywhere, but if it spread at the Y, there will be an uproar. And rightly so.
Not only would suing take care of the medical bills. It would also ensure that the Y never hires another unvaccinated person. So other babies less than one year old in the Y programs would be safe.
I was at RDU at the times they were there. It would be nice to know if they were on a plane or just picking someone up. Vaccinate people!!
Since the child was returning from overseas I'm guessing s/he spent some time in the terminals.
We had a measles outbreak my senior year of college. Almost had to play the NCAA tournament in empty arenas LOL. It was the same situation, a kid who went overseas over Christmas break and brought it back. In that case, I think his immunity had just worn all. We all had to get re-vaccinated to attend class. Of course this was the 1980s so thousands of parents and no one said boo about it.
As a mom myself, I completely understand your worry and i am sorry you are going thru that. Personally, I am not a litigious person, but if my daughter contracted measles from an infected caregiver whom I paid to provide care, I would sue for every last penny of her medical bills and more. In this case, it should be the YMCA for allowing an unvaccinated person to care for kids (assuming she did, in any capacity, care for kids of any age). The home daycare provider who cares for my kids has to be vaccinated to keep her license - how is that not also enforced at the Y, if not even more so? I hope no one - especially any babies or immunocompromised people - caught it anywhere, but if it spread at the Y, there will be an uproar. And rightly so.
I think we're making a lot of assumptions here - no one knows whether this kid worked at the daycare or not. Since s/he was also at a sports place in MacGregor Village, and the time period in question at the Y was at NIGHT ON A SATURDAY. I highly doubt that s/he is a caregiver at the Y...more likely there doing some sports training. Doesn't mean the germs didn't get left behind.
I'd like to know where in Europe it is that measles is endemic??
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