Clallam County health officer warns of measles risk, urges vaccinations after national outbreaks

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 pertussis control requires roughly 90 percent vaccination coverage. Locally, she said, 70.79 percent of kindergarteners are up to date with required vaccines and that 93 percent is the level usually cited for measles protection. She also said about 10 percent of local kindergarten records show exemptions and about 11 percent are out of compliance—numbers she attributed largely to access barriers.

National picture and local preparedness: Berry said the U.S. has more than 700 measles cases, and that most cases are in unvaccinated or unknown-status people; she reported three cases in Washington state that so far are not tied to the large Texas outbreak. She warned that the cutting of federal disease-tracking capacity has reduced the ability to detect travelers with infectious disease and could facilitate spread across states.

Locally, Berry outlined what a measles response would look like in Clallam County: mobilizing the county’s community disease team and environmental health staff, pulling staff from other duties, and requesting state assistance. She cautioned the board that projected state-level public-health cuts could eliminate statewide outbreak teams the county historically relied on.

Prevention and public guidance: Berry urged residents to keep vaccinations up to date, noting that one measles vaccine dose still provides rapid, meaningful protection and that staying home while ill reduces spread. She described targeted measures public health takes during outbreaks—contact tracing, vaccination clinics, isolation support and coordination with hospitals and clinics—and mentioned limited availability of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for very high-risk patients.

Berry warned that reductions in federal and state public-health funding would shift more responsibility and cost locally: ‘‘If the feds, the state, and the locals end up cutting public health funding, we will see cuts in services, which will lead to sicker residents.’’

Questions from board members focused on surge staffing, the practical steps for contact tracing and vaccination, and the time to immunity after vaccination; Berry said protection begins within about a week to two weeks after a measles dose and that officials will prioritize vaccinating children and hard-to-reach families.

Ending: Berry said county teams are already increasing school outreach and vaccine access and asked the board to note that sustaining these prevention efforts will require local funding if higher-level supports are reduced.