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Measles

What Families Need to Know

Measles is extremely contagious, and can be serious, especially for young children and pregnant women.  If your child has measles, please keep them home.

  • Measles virus travels through the air. You can get measles if you go near someone who has the virus because the virus stays for up to two hours in the air of a room where a person with measles has been.
  • You can catch measles from an infected person as early as four days before they have a rash and for up to four days after the rash appears.
  • Almost everyone who has not had the vaccine will get measles if they are exposed to the measles virus.
  • Foreign travel or exposure to foreign travelers increases the risk for measles.
  • Measles is the deadliest of all childhood rash/fever illnesses.

Measles Symptoms:

Measles starts with: fever, diarrhea, coughing, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and tiredness. After a few days, a rash begins, which usually starts on the face and can spread over the entire body. Measles usually lasts 7 to 10 days.

The best protection against measles is to get vaccinated. Make sure to protect yourself and your children with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

The Issaquah School District works with the Washington State Department of Health to comply with state laws on required vaccinations. In order for students to attend school, all parents are required to complete and return a certificate of immunization OR a certificate of exemption. This is filed within each student’s school record. If either certificate has not been completed and on file, students may not attend school.

Details about Certificates of Immunization:

This form requires the healthcare provider to verify the completion of the 5 required vaccines. The parent is required to sign this form and return it to school.

Details about Certificates of Exemption:

A parent or guardian may exempt their child from some or all vaccination listed above. Exemption types include “religious,” “personal/philosophical,” and “medical.” Exemption Certificates are required to be signed by the health care provider and the parent and the form must be returned to school. A person who has been exempted from a vaccination is considered at risk for the disease or diseases for which the vaccination offers protection. Exempted children/students may be excluded from school or child care settings and activities during an outbreak of the disease that they have not been fully vaccinated against. Find District information regarding vaccinations here.  
 
Following state law and Issaquah School District processes, vaccination reports are documented by the health room secretary and the school nurse. Students must get vaccination doses at correct timeframes to be in compliance with requirements. Students who do not comply and who do not have required documentation are withheld from school attendance. 

Resources and Information for Families

Center for Disease Control (CDC) Measles Infographic:

Measles information from the Washington Department of Health in other languages: