ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — Health officials are warning of the measles in Michigan. There are currently no known cases in Washtenaw County, according to the health department. The department also makes it clear that the guidelines published by Ann Arbor Public Schools are simply coming from the state.
"When we have cases introduced and someone is unvaccinated, they're incredibly likely to get ill. So, about a 90% chance of getting ill if you're exposed," said Susan Ringler Cerniglia, public information officer for the Washtenaw County Health Department.
She mentioned there are now seven reported cases in Michigan.
"What we did hear in Washtenaw County because we have measles cases obviously in other parts of the U.S. and other parts of the world... we sent out information to all of our local school districts reminding them of what this disease is like, what it looks like and what would happen if we have a case," she explained.
Ann Arbor schools then published a letter letting parents know if their child is unvaccinated, then state law must be followed if anyone in the district is exposed.
"The public health code in Michigan allows for exclusion of those students that aren't vaccinated. So in this case, that would mean that if there's an exposure, what we call the incubation for measles is 21 days," Cerniglia said.
Related video: Measles cases surge to six-year high with over 700 confirmed in 24 states
That means students and staff who are unvaccinated can be told to stay away from school for 21 days.
Najla August, who has a fourth grader in the district said, "I think this is a good safety net in place."
She didn't want to say whether her son is vaccinated, but she said she agrees with the guidelines in order to ultimately protect the immunocompromised.
At the same time, she said she feels no one should feel forced to get vaccinated.
"I like having the choice where people can make their own decisions. Maybe some people have some religious concerns, some people might have different concerns, whatever there concerns may be. I just don't like this authoritarian telling everyone what to do with their bodies," August explained.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports getting the MMR vaccine is much safer than catching measles. Cerniglia said one dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective.
Previous coverage: Ask Dr. Nandi: What do you need to know about the measles vaccine?
"But right now, as vaccination rates have dipped down into about 80% or so in most of our communities, that's not enough to prevent measles from spreading once measles are introduced," she said.
