Sacramento County and Placer County public health officials announced today that the regional measles outbreak has officially ended. The determination is based on the date of the last case’s symptom onset and two full incubation periods, with no new cases identified in over 42 days. All individuals who became ill during the outbreak have fully recovered.
Health officials with the two counties credited quick community response, robust immunization coverage and cooperation with isolation and quarantine guidance as key factors in ending the outbreak.
"This outbreak may be over, but the conditions that allowed it to occur have not disappeared," said Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Phuong Luu. "Containing the spread required extensive coordination among public health agencies, healthcare providers, schools, community partners and affected families. The lesson from this outbreak is not that measles is harmless. The lesson is that vaccines work, community immunity works and maintaining high vaccination coverage remains essential to protecting those at risk."
“Community members really stepped up,” said Placer County Health Officer and Director of Health and Human Services Dr. Rob Oldham. “The organizations associated with exposures worked with us to help educate people in their networks, and thankfully we were able to break the chain of transmission to bring this outbreak to a close.”
The outbreak started with an unvaccinated traveler returning to the area from South Carolina, where a much larger outbreak was underway. South Carolina’s outbreak ended in late April, yet measles outbreaks are ongoing in other states. Residents are encouraged to confirm their vaccination status, particularly before traveling to other states or countries, or before visiting crowded destinations such as airports, large events or theme parks.
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine offers the best protection against measles. It is 93% effective with a single dose and 97% effective with two doses.
Public health officials encourage residents to verify they and their family members are protected against measles by reviewing their vaccination records and speaking with a healthcare provider. Residents who are uninsured or on Medi-Cal and need assistance with checking their status or accessing vaccinations can refer to the Sacramento County Immunization Assistance Program for resources.
Sacramento and Placer Counties will stop posting weekly measles case count updates to their respective Public Health websites at this time.