A 5-year-old, unvaccinated girl who attends kindergarten at Port Angeles’ Olympic Christian School, 43 O’Brien Road, was reportedly diagnosed with measles, a highly contagious disease transmitted by airborne exposure.

The child is the second local measles case in the past three weeks, according to Clallam County Health Department officials. She was directly exposed to the county’s first case, a 50-year-old Port Angeles man the last week of January, they said.

Olympic Christian School principal Gary Rude said 12 students who are not immunized have been quarantined through Feb. 27 at their homes because of exposure to the girl.

He said the girl is excused from class until she is cleared by health officials to return.

“In a small population, it’s an impact,” Rude said. “The hope is no more kids come down with it.”

Dr. Tom Locke, Clallam County Health Officer, said students came into contact with the girl on Feb. 6, and that other exposures to the patient’s measles were minimal except for during school hours and a family gathering.

The girl and man are unrelated, Locke said, but said he can’t disclose their affiliation.

Locke said about 7 percent of children in Clallam County are not immunized for the measles.

Washington State Department of Health reports as of last year, 82.6 percent of Sequim’s public school kindergarteners enter school with required immunizations including the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination as of last school year.

Locke reports Clallam’s first measles case this year who was placed in isolation at Olympic Medical Center has fully recovered and those who were exposed to him or at his location from Jan. 27-30 during a two hour window have until Feb. 22 before they are fully cleared from measles exposure.

On Jan. 27, he visited Port Angeles Wendy’s in a 3:30-5:45 p.m. timeline, Mt. Pleasant IGS & Texaco Gas Station in Port Angeles (4:45-6:55 p.m.); on Jan. 29, the Jamestown Longhouse Gas Station and Convenience Store in Blyn (9:01 a.m.-11:15 a.m.), SeaTac rest area I-5 northbound (11 a.m.-1:10 p.m.), Owen Equipment Company in Kent (11:25 a.m.-1:35 p.m.) and Bent Bike motorcycle Salvage in Auburn (11:45 a.m.-1:50 p.m.) and the Mt. Pleasant IGS (3:19-5:30 p.m.); Jan. 30, Mt. Pleasant IGS (11:13 a.m.-1:23 p.m.).

Clinics and symptoms

Free measles immunization clinics will continue Thursday and Friday at the Clallam County Health and Human Services, Public Health Section, at 111 E. Third St. in Port Angeles. Call 417-2274 to make an appointment.

Walk-ins will be served but there may be a wait.

Children, adolescents or adults who develop a fever of 101 or greater followed by a generalized rash two to four days later may need to be evaluated for measles infection.

Health officials warn that under no circumstances should those with measles symptoms go directly to a health care provider’s office or to the emergency room because it will expose others to the infection. Instead, they advise calling ahead to notify their provider that they have a rash illness and receive instructions on how to be tested.

All children, adolescents, college-age students and health care workers should have at least two MMR vaccines, Locke said, and adults who are not health care workers should have at least one MMR vaccine.

Community members born before 1957 are presumed to be immune to measles. A blood test also is available to determine if a person is immune to measles.

Health officials said with a second case of measles and the possibility of more in the near future, all residents should assess whether they are immune to measles. If they are in need of vaccination, they should make plans to receive it at their earliest opportunity.

Locke said more vaccinations have been sent to local doctors and pharmacies.

Jail immunizations

The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office reports that they determined about 63 percent of Clallam County Jail’s population was at potential risk of the measles, so on Feb. 7, jail staff held a vaccination clinic for 63 inmates and three staff members to receive voluntary immunizations.

Jail Medical staff physicians Peter Erickson and Art Tordini and nurses Julia Keegan, Candace Priest and Dean Boggs led the immunizations with administrative assistance and security from Corrections Sgt. Luke Brown and Corrections Deputy Howard Blair.

Follow-up screening will be conducted as new prisoners arrive and measles vaccinations will be offered as needed.