First Verified Measles Case Reported in Nebraska
A confirmed measles case in Sheridan County has been reported to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The patient is an appropriately vaccinated child with no out-of-state travel history. Due to privacy, no further individual information will be provided. Individuals present at the following public locations at the indicated date and times may have been exposed to measles and should visit and fill out the risk assessment survey at the following link: https://redcap.link/Measles_Sheridan0525
Family Dollar Store in Rushville, NE on May 17 from 9am-Noon
Gordon Memorial Hospital Clinic, Gordon, NE on May 21 from 8am-1pm
If you do not have access to the internet or need help filling out the risk assessment survey, call the Panhandle Public Health District at 308-633-2866. Additionally, contact your health care provider to check you and your family's vaccination status against measles. If you have not had two doses of the measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, talk to your health care provider or local health department right away.
Measles is an acute, highly contagious respiratory viral disease. Symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, and rash. Although measles is usually considered a childhood disease, it can be contracted at any age. Children under the age of five, adults over the age of 20 years, nonimmune pregnant and immunocompromised people are at greatest risk of developing severe complications from measles. There is no specific treatment for measles.
The best way to protect yourself and your family against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases is by immunization. Children should receive their first dose of measles vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age and another dose at four to six years of age. It is recommended that infants from six to 11 months old in Sheridan County receive an early dose of the MMR vaccine. A resident with only one dose of MMR should receive their second dose as soon as possible.
In the United States, the MMR vaccine is generally first given at 12 months of age, but is sometimes recommended for children as young as six months of age who are traveling internationally or could be exposed in a local outbreak. Any Nebraskan planning to travel, particularly internationally, needs to ensure they are up to date with their MMR vaccine. If you have not had two doses of the measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, talk to your health care provider or local health department right away about getting caught up. The MMR vaccine is safe and 97% effective at preventing measles after two doses.
If you think that you are having symptoms of measles, isolate yourself from others and call your healthcare provider, emergency room, or urgent care BEFORE arriving to be tested. Do not arrive at a healthcare facility without giving advance notice unless it is a medical emergency.
For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mmr/public/index.html or https://www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html.
Local Health Department Contacts
Central District Health Department
308-385-5175
Merrick, Hall, Hamilton
Dakota County Health Department
402-987-2164
Dakota
Douglas County Health Department
402-444-7471
Douglas
East Central District Health Department
402-563-9656
Boone, Nance, Platte, Colfax
Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department
402-529-2233
Madison, Stanton, Cuming, Burt
Four Corners Health Department
402-362-2621
Polk, Butler, York, Seward
Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department
402-441-8000
Lancaster
Loup Basin Public Health Department
308-346-5795
Blaine, Loup, Garfield, Wheeler, Custer, Valley, Greeley, Sherman, Howard
North Central District Health Department
402-336-2406
Cherry, Keya Paha, Boyd, Brown, Rock, Holt, Knox, Antelope, Pierce
Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department
402-375-2200
Cedar, Dixon, Wayne, Thurston
Panhandle Public Health District
308-633-2866
Sioux, Dawes, Box Butte, Sheridan, Scotts Bluff, Morrill, Garden, Grant, Banner, Kimball, Cheyenne, Deuel
Public Health Solutions District Health Department
402-826-3880
Filmore, Saline, Thayer, Jefferson, Gage
Sarpy/Cass Health Department
402-339-4334
Sarpy, Cass
South Heartland District Health Department
402-462-6211
Adams, Clay, Webster, Nuckolls
Southeast District Health Department
402-274-3993
Otoe, Johnson, Nemaha, Pawnee, Richardson
Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department
308-345-4223
Keith, Perkins, Chase, Hayes, Frontier, Dundy, Hitchcock, Red Willow, Furnas
Three Rivers Public Health Department
402-727-5396
Dodge, Washington, Saunders
Two Rivers Public Health Department
888-669-7154
Dawson, Buffalo, Gosper, Phelps, Kearney, Harlan, Franklin
West Central District Health Department
308-696-1201
Hooker, Thomas, Arthur, McPherson, Logan, Lincoln
Nebraskans can use the QR code below or visit the following link to find the LHD in their region: https://arcg.is/0a4jXi
