Dear UTC Community,



Please note an update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).:

A health advisory has been issued about the dramatic rise in cases of Measles in the United States and other countries, urging those who are unvaccinated to get a measles vaccine before any travel abroad (https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/measles/data/global-measles-outbreaks.html).

Measles (rubeola) is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease. One person infected with measles can infect 9 out of 10 unvaccinated individuals with whom they come in close contact.

If you have not been vaccinated or have not previously contracted the disease, you are at risk of getting the Measles infection if you travel internationally to areas where measles is spreading or are exposed to it here in the US.

As of March 14, 2024, a total of 58 measles cases were reported by 17 jurisdictions: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.

This is equivocal to the 58 cases that were reported in ALL of 2023 in just the first three months of 2024.

What can you do to protect yourself:

If you have not been vaccinated for Measles with the MMR vaccine as a child, then you can receive this two-dose vaccine series to provide immunity and protect you from this virus, especially before any international travel.

For more information check out the links below:

Vaccine Recommendations<https://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccination.html>

History of Measles<https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html> <https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html>

Travel Information<https://www.cdc.gov/measles/plan-for-travel.html>

Countries with Outbreaks<https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/measles/data/global-measles-outbreaks.html>



Jordan Jacobs FNP-C | Infectious Disease Nurse Practitioner

[cid:57b60421-d7c0-435f-ab0e-dad31070293f]

University Health Services

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

615 McCallie Avenue

Maclellan Gymnasium, Room 205

Chattanooga TN 37403-2598

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P: (423) 425-2266 | F: (423) 425-2305