What you can do
- Click this link for helpful information for clinicians: Measles for clinicians
- Click this link for helpful information for non-clinicians: Measles for non-clinicians
Verify your immunity status
As a caregiver, it is especially important that you are immune. Although the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is offered upon hire and caregivers may be tested to see if they are already immune, some susceptible caregivers may not return to be vaccinated.
If you have not been vaccinated or previously had the measles, contact Caregiver Health Services immediately. Vaccinations are currently available upon request at no charge to you in Caregiver Health Services. If you are not immune, you cannot care for patients regardless of airborne respirator contact precautions.
If you do not know your immunity status, contact Caregiver Health Services at 714-771-8055, Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.– 4 p.m.
It is also advised that you check your children’s vaccination status and verify that they are up to date with the MMR vaccine.
If you experience signs and symptoms of measles, it is important that Caregiver Health Services is notified and that you stay home from work or leave work. Contact your health care provider at the first sign of illness. Susceptible caregivers will be restricted for 21 days or longer, based on local health jurisdiction.
Be aware of the symptoms
Measles is a viral disease that can have serious consequences. Before vaccines, measles were very common in the United States, especially among children. They are still common in many parts of the world. Symptoms include:
- Fever, cough, coryza (runny nose), and conjunctivitis (red eyes).
- The rash usually starts on the head and then spreads to the trunk followed by the extremities.
- The rash presents a few days after the onset of the fever and other symptoms, but the patient is infectious prior to the rash appearing.
Although the disease can begin like a common cold, it is a very contagious disease caused by a virus. People with measles can spread the disease before they know they’re sick. They are most contagious from four days before to four days after the rash appears. The incubation period is seven to 21 days, although the average time from exposure to rash onset is about 14 days.
Measles spreads when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or has close contact such as sharing eating utensils or close personal space. The measles virus can also remain in the air of a room for up to two hours after a person with measles has been there, so someone who is not immune can be exposed without ever having had contact with the ill person.
Take steps to protect yourself and those around you
Encourage suspected measles patients to call ahead before arriving at the health care facility and to wait in the car so appropriate precautions can be made before entering the facility.
In the outpatient setting, they should be seen as the last appointment of the day and brought in through an alternate entrance if possible. The patient should put on a surgical mask before entering the building and keep it on during their entire visit. A negative pressure room should be used if available. If not, the patient should be placed in the room farthest away from other patients. The room should remain closed for at least two hours before use. If a suspected measles patient must be sent to the emergency department, the ED must be notified in advance so that they can adequately prepare.
In the hospital, the patient should be placed on Airborne Precautions in a negative pressure room and caregivers should wear respiratory protection (PAPR or fit-tested N95 respirator) before entering the patient’s room.
If you have questions about precautions, patient testing or other infection prevention issues, contact the St. Joseph Hospital Infection Prevention team at ext. 18105.