New Mexico is officially clear of the measles outbreak that began Feb. 14. That’s the word from the state’s Department of Health.
Acting State Epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smelser said Friday there have been no new cases over the previous 42 days, which equals two incubation periods for the disease. Also, DOH is doing wastewater sampling around the state.
“And all of those have been negative for quite some time, so we’re pretty sure there isn’t transmission going on,” Smelser said.
Smelser said three things have helped the state overcome the outbreak, even as other states like Arizona and Utah are seeing rising cases.
“We were very aggressive with the case investigation and contact tracing, so trying to stop spread once a case was identified,” Smelser said.
He added that health care providers have done a good job identifying potential cases and reporting them to the state. He also said people are vaccinating their kids, while adults have made sure their own vaccines are up to date. Over 56,000 people received a measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine since Feb. 1.
There were 100 measles cases identified during the outbreak, which was the largest in decades and the state’s first since 1996, according to DOH. Health officials said it began in Lea County and was likely due to an outbreak in neighboring West Texas.
Nationwide there have been 1514 confirmed cases as of Sept. 23.
Smelser said the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, or MMR, is well-studied and it’s safe.
“It's just a tragedy that there's mixed messaging going on that makes it confusing for the for the general public,” he said. “It’s a vaccine I give to my family, to my children.”
He added that DOH recommends people traveling outside the state understand the risk wherever they’re going and make sure they’re up to date on vaccines. New Mexico residents can access their vaccine records online.
Measles is extremely contagious and can lead to complications like pneumonia and encephalitis. It also leaves people more vulnerable to other infections.
DOH officials direct anyone experiencing fever and rash to contact their doctor or an emergency department first to tell them about any concerns about measles. You can also call the NMDOH Helpline at 1-833-SWNURSE.
