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Clallam County health officer warns of measles risk, urges vaccinations after national outbreaks
Summary
Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry told the Clallam County Board of Health that local flu, COVID and RSV are down but measles and pertussis pose risks as federal disease-tracking capacity is reduced and local vaccine coverage remains below targets.
Dr. Allison Berry, Clallam and Jefferson counties’ health officer, told the Clallam County Board of Health on April 15 that local winter respiratory viruses are declining but vaccine-preventable diseases pose a growing threat.
Berry said flu, COVID-19 and RSV have ‘‘continued to downtrend’’ in the region, but noted a return of pertussis and a worsening national measles outbreak. ‘‘The less good news is on the vaccine preventable diseases front,’’ she said.
Why it matters: measles is highly contagious and can cause hospitalizations and death, especially among young children. Berry said federal and state public-health capacity reductions have removed systems that previously helped stop spread between states and track exposures.
Berry told the board that in neighboring Jefferson County there are 10 known pertussis cases and that…
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