LYNCHBURG, Va. – Update:
The City of Lynchburg is encouraging residents to review guidance from the VDH after health officials confirmed a measles case in the area.
Residents who believe they may have been exposed are encouraged to carefully review the guidance provided by the Virginia Department of Health and follow recommended next steps. This includes monitoring for symptoms, verifying vaccination status, and contacting your local health department if symptoms develop.
Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms typically appear 7–14 days after exposure and may include:
- High fever
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Red, watery eyes
- A rash that usually begins on the face and spreads downward
Additional information about measles, vaccination, and prevention is available through the Virginia Department of Health at: www.vdh.virginia.gov/measles/
The City of Lynchburg said it will continue coordinating with the Virginia Department of Health and local healthcare partners and will share additional information with the community as needed.
Original:
The Virginia Department of Health announced that it was notified of a confirmed case of measles that traveled through the Southwest Region on Monday.
According to the VDH, the person is a resident of another state who recently traveled internationally. To protect the patient’s privacy, VDH will not provide additional information about the patient. Health officials are coordinating an effort to identify people who might have been exposed.
Listed below are the dates, times, and locations of the potential exposure sites in Virginia:
- Centra Lynchburg General Hospital Emergency Department located at 1901 Tate Springs Road in Lynchburg from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Monday, March 2.
Any additional exposure sites identified in Virginia will be posted to the VDH Measles website.
The VDH has issued the following guidelines for those who have been exposed to measles:
What to Do If You Have Been Exposed to Measles
- Report your exposure to VDH by completing this short survey. Public health officials will follow up with respondents if additional actions are needed.
- Find out if you have been vaccinated for measles or have had measles previously. Make sure you are up to date with the recommended number of measles (MMR) vaccinations.
- To check your immunization status, call your healthcare provider or request records through the VDH Record Request Portal.
- If you have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or were born before 1957, you are considered protected and do not need to seek post-exposure treatment at this time.
- People who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles should contact their healthcare provider or call their local health department People who are not immune to measles may qualify for post-exposure treatments. There is a small timeframe for these protective post-exposure treatments to be effective.
- Watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days after the potential exposure. Monitoring for symptoms is especially important for people who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles.
- If you notice symptoms of measles, immediately isolate yourself by staying home. Contact your healthcare provider right away. If you need to seek healthcare, call ahead before going to your healthcare provider’s office or the emergency room to notify them that you may have been exposed to measles and ask them to call the local health department. This call will help protect other patients and staff.
- The most likely time you would become sick would be between March 9 and March 23.
- Contact your local health department or email epi_response@vdh.virginia.gov to discuss any additional recommendations.
General Measles Information