IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – Dr. John Bartlett, a pediatrician at Marshfield Clinic Health System’s Marquette Center, and the Vice President of Medical Affairs for Marshfield’s Michigan Region, raised concerns this week about a measles outbreak in lower Michigan and now speaks about how measles can be easily prevented in the U.P.
The country has already had a higher rate of cases this year than we did for all of last year combined. Measles can easily be prevented with an MMR vaccine.
“Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease, very vaccine-preventable. In 2002, measles was declared eliminated in the United States. However, there have been a few cases since then where there have been outbreaks all over the United States and most recently in Michigan. So far in 2024, there have been as many cases as all of 2023 for the whole country,” Dr. Bartlett commented.
There were 58 cases of measles in the US in 2023, but so far in 2024, there are already 45 confirmed cases.
Dr. Bartlett recommends kids get 2 simple boosters starting at about 1 year old.
“Children receive their first dose of MMR, which protects from measles at age 12-15 months, their 2nd dose between ages of 4-6, and at that time they’re 97% protected [from] getting measles even if there were an outbreak,” informed Dr. Bartlett.
Measles was eliminated over 20 years ago, but vaccine hesitation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic is contributing to the current outbreak. Dr. Bartlett stressed that an outbreak can be prevented.
“Some people wonder why there have been recent outbreaks of measles when it was effectively eliminated from the United States back in 2002. The only way an outbreak like that happens is if there is a cluster of unvaccinated people. Our rates in Michigan and Marquette county, Dickinson county are still fairly good at about 74%, but there has been a decrease since Covid – sometimes because kids couldn’t get into their doctor, but also because some people becoming more vaccine resistant, or hesitant during that time. Again, this is a very vaccine-preventable disease that we want your children protected from,” he expressed.
Measles is a serious illness. According to data provided by the Dickinson-Iron District Health Department, 65% of 4-6 year olds in Dickinson County are covered, and Iron County has 58% coverage in the same age range.
Measles is easily vaccine-preventable. Marshfield Clinic is ready to help with well-child visits from various locations around the U.P. For those in Houghton or Delta Counties, Dr. Bartlett says generally pharmacies don’t give children’s vaccines, but any family medicine, pediatrics, or even the county health department can help.
The measles virus can live for up to 2 hours in the air, and the state asks local schools to help recognize symptoms.
Symptoms can include a high fever that can spike up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums, and roof of the mouth (these are called Koplik spots, according to state guidance to schools). A rash typically breaks out that is red, raised and blotchy that usually starts on the face and spreads to the trunk, arms and legs about 4 days after symptoms begin.
State guidance is also asking that people call their medical facility in advance, before going to any medical facility if they are experiencing symptoms or think they might have been exposed, to avoid exposing anyone else as measles is highly contagious.
Dr. Bartlett says if parents of school-age children didn’t need a medical waiver for school, then they are probably covered. He noted, “If you have a school-age child, and you didn’t need to fill out an exemption for them to attend school, then they are fully vaccinated for measles. Otherwise, call your primary care provider to find out. ‘Are they fully vaccinated?’ And, to get an appointment for the next well-child, or [to make] sure that they are protected from measles and other vaccine preventable diseases.”
In the Iron Mountain area, Marshfield Medical Center Dickinson has a pediatrics clinic in Iron Mountain’s Dickinson Medical Building, located at 1721 S Stephenson Avenue Suite 125. Pediatrics clinics can also be found in Florence, Wisconsin, and another clinic in Norway that services pediatrics and family medicine.
Marshfield Medical Center, Dickinson Family Medicine can be reached for appointments by calling:
906-776-5810
For Marshfield Medical Center Dickinson’s Family medicine website, visit:
https://www.dchs.org/family-medicine/
Marshfield Clinic’s Marquette Center can be reached at: 906-225-4500
For the Marquette Center’s Website, visit:
https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/locations/centers/Marquette%20Center
For more help on finding a vaccination location, contact the health department.
You can visit the Western U.P.’s health department website:
Or Call: 906-482-7382
For the Dickinson-Iron District Health Department, visit:
Or for Dickinson County, call 1-906-774-1868 for help in Dickinson County during business hours.
For Iron County during business hours, call: 906-265-9913
For emergencies, always call 911.
For a recent article about Measles with a health department official, visit:
