After the recent outbreak in Washington State, local health agencies are working with school districts to contact parents of children that haven't received immunizations for measles and mumps.

There have been no reported cases of measles in Montana or mumps in Yellowstone County at this time. There have been cases of the mumps reported in Bozeman. Unified Health Command (Billings Clinic, RiverStone Health and St. Vincent Healthcare) is warning parents of the consequences an outbreak could have on their unvaccinated child.

According to a news release from RiverStone Health, Yellowstone County's public health agency, these are ways children in a school that has an outbreak would be affected:

  • If a child does not have at least one dose of the MMR or MMRV, the child may be excluded from school and school activities for 21 or more days after the last exposure to a measles or mumps case at his or her school.
  • If a child gets at least one dose of MMR or MMRV during an outbreak, the child may return to school.
  • If a child has two doses of MMR or MMRV, the child is up-to-date with required measles vaccination and can attend school as usual.

“When there’s a possibility of a disease outbreak, public health and our hospital partners take precautions to lessen the risk to Yellowstone County residents,” -John Felton, Yellowstone County Health Officer and President & CEO of RiverStone Health.

A special MMR and MMRV immunization clinic will be held THIS SATURDAY, March 2 from 9am to 2pm at RiverStone Health, 123 South 27th Street in the Lil Anderson Building. Your child's immunization record should be brought if accessible. All eligible children, through age 18, can receive vaccines at no cost (beyond administrative fee) under the federal Vaccines for Children program.

 

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