VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Department of Health said Thursday that it's monitoring additional possible exposures to measles around Washington, D.C.
VDH says this happened when a Maryland resident infected with the disease traveled through Reagan National Airport and the Washington Area Metro on March 14. These exposures follow a previously-announced March 5 exposure at Dulles International Airport.
Watch: Case of measles reported in person who traveled through Dulles airport
The department says it's currently reaching out to people who may have been exposed, though Virginia and North Carolina have yet to report any confirmed cases.
More than 300 cases of measles have been reported across the country, with the largest outbreak in Texas. Health departments have found that the vast majority of infections are in people not vaccinated for measles.
Virginia Beach pediatrician Dr. Jennie Tabakin says chatter about the increasing numbers has reached her exam rooms.
“There’s been a lot of conversation around the measles outbreak [with patients]. Yes," she told News 3.
Watch related coverage: Why this year's measles outbreaks are causing alarm
Dr. Tabakin says she's been practicing at Sentara Pediatric Physicians since 2011 and this is the first time her office has had to watch measles this closely.
“Our office is prepared to evaluate patients if it comes up that they’ve had concerns about measles exposure or they start showing the symptoms," said Dr. Tabakin, insisting patients stay home and call if they're concerned about an infection.
According to VDH, most measles symptoms appear within a couple weeks, but could take three weeks to show up after exposure.
“The first symptoms could look like cold, flu, typically a higher fever, cough," said Dr. Tabakin. "Two to four days later is the characteristic rash.”
Watch related coverage: Can adults get a measles shot if they don’t know their childhood vaccine status?
But the major concern for healthcare providers isn't an individual symptom...
“A large proportion of people who have measles will have complications requiring hospitalization, and then a part of those people would potentially have brain damage or even death," said Dr. Tabakin. “The number one way to protect against measles is the measles vaccine.
The MMR vaccine covers measles, mumps and rubella and most people received two doses as young children. The vaccine is a requirement to attend Virginia public schools.
“12-15 months is the first dose. Second dose, at least four weeks later but it’s typically given before kindergarten," Tabakin told News 3. “It is highly effective. Study after study and decades of experience with it have shown how safe it is. It has been around since 1963."
Watch related coverage: Mumps case in Elizabeth City draws attention to vaccination numbers
According to the Virginia Department of Health, anyone born before 1957 is understood to be immune to measles because of the disease's prominence prior to the vaccine's development. After its development, it was given in one dose for years and even though the Centers for Disease Control reports 93% effectiveness from the single dose, there are options to ensure immunity.
“The best course would be to get another vaccine. It is not harmful, even if you have already had it. Another possibility would be to have blood work drawn to show whether your body is showing whether it has immune response ready to fight measles," said Dr. Tabakin.
The test to check immunity is called a "titer" and Tabakin says people can ask their doctors if they're interested in such a test.
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Though U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pointed to vitamin A as a possible treatment for measles, Dr. Tabakin says it's important for people to understand it does not replace the vaccine as a protector against the disease.
"A while back, some people who had measles were found to have low vitamin A so sometimes vitamin A is used as part of their treatment," she said. “Vitamin A does not protect against measles."
However, some are simply too young for the MMR shot.
Infants typically don't get the vaccine until one year of age (though it is recommended for infants at least six months old who are traveling). Tabakin says there are things expectant mothers can do to protect their newborns from measles.
“Hopefully, if they’ve had the measles vaccine, they are immune and that protects the baby in the immediate postpartum period for the first few months after birth," she told News 3. “Any new mom who can breast feed, I would encourage them to try it because it provides a lot of good immune protection.”
