Measles infection confirmed at Highland High School

SALT LAKE CITY — Highland High School warned families to watch for potential signs of measles on Wednesday after a student there attended school for over a week while contagious. The school said the student went to school on Feb. 6, then went back on Monday and stayed for the rest of the week. Salt Lake County Health Department said the student was not vaccinated, and any other unvaccinated students have a 90% chance of catching the disease if they had contact with the infected student. The health department said measles can linger in rooms where the contagious person was for up to two hours. Notifications were sent to the whole school, with more specific notices sent to families whose students likely had direct contact with the sick student through a class or extracurricular activity. A third notice was sent to families whose student doesn't have an MMR vaccine. Salt Lake County Health Department Communication Director Nicholas Rupp said the start of measles can look like a regular flu or cold. "Some respiratory type infections, red eyes, runny nose, things like that," Rupp said. "If you're not feeling well, especially if you may have been exposed to measles through some other situation in the state, since we do have measles circulating throughout Utah, it's really important to stay home so you don't potentially infect others." Rupp said the student was infected at a high school activity in the last three weeks since the student started showing symptoms. The activity was with the Utah High School Activities Association, but Rupp didn't have further details of exactly when or what activity. According to Rupp, the best way to prevent getting the measles is to have the MMR vaccine, which has a 97% protection rate. At Highland High School, 98% of the students have been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine. "Everyone in our community can avail themselves to that same protection and not worry about this as it continues to come up in our community," Rupp said. "Getting your MMR really is the best, safest, most effective way to be protected."

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