23-Month-Old Child Has Measles

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MILWAUKEE - There’s a measles scare in Milwaukee County. Tests show a 23-month-old child does, in fact, have the measles, and we're learning there's a chance the toddler may have exposed other children at local daycare centers. The child was just released from the hospital, but others may be exposed. Health officials are trying to figure out where the measles came from and make sure it doesn't spread to anyone else. "We do have a confirmed case of measles which originated in the city of Franklin,” Franklin Health Officer Bill Wucherer said. Click on the link under related content to see Bill Wucherer discuss the measles case on Live at 4:00. The 23-month-old child is from Franklin and attended day care centers in Greendale and Greenfield while infected. One of those centers was the Kids Club at the Bally's Health Club in Greendale. Parents whose kids were also at the daycare received calls from health officials this weekend. Joe Green says he's glad his one year old son has already received his MMR vaccination. "Of course it's something that concerns you, but you can only do what you can do," Green said. Measles is highly contagious and can easily spread through coughing and sneezing. Early symptoms are similar to the flu, but then comes a distinctive measles rash. “The measles rash is a red blotchy rash that usually starts on the head and then spreads down the body to the arms and legs,” Milwaukee Health Department’s Dr. Geoffrey Swain said. Parents of children who went to daycare with the infected toddler have been notified. Patients at Children's Hospital who may have been exposed were treated. Health officials are urging vaccinations for all children. "We should always be concerned when there's a serious disease like measles that can be fatal in some cases that we've got to get the message out,” Milwaukee Health Commissioner Bevin Baker said. This measles case is worrisome to parents like Chad Wagner. His son received the vaccination near his first birthday…the recommended age. "You wouldn't want your child to suffer with a sickness that he wouldn't have gotten if he had gotten immunized. You also wouldn't want to spread it to other kids,” Wagner said. The infected child did not have the measles vaccine. Officials believe the missed vaccine was an oversight by the parents, not due to religious or ethical beliefs.