General
Published February 18, 2019
With more than 60 confirmed cases reported since January 1 by Clark County Public Health alone, measles is no longer a disease of the past. With King County also recently reporting their first measles case, parents and residents are looking for solutions to keep the contagion from spreading.
How can your employees prevent measles?
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the most common way of preventing this highly contagious disease. We suggest your employees and their eligible dependents get the MMR vaccine from a pediatrician or primary care physician, since urgent care facilities and pharmacies might not stock the MMR vaccine or vaccinate smaller children. Your employees should call their provider ahead of time to ask for the vaccine.
Measles can be serious and even life threatening for young children. People who haven’t been vaccinated and people who have compromised immune systems have the greatest risk of getting—and therefore spreading—the virus.
We make it easy to tell your employees
The MMR vaccine is a preventive vaccination and is therefore covered under every Premera plan.
See the full list of preventive health benefits (also available on premera.com).
Use B’link to download ready-to-share communications about your health plan benefits. Emails, flyers, and messaging are available in B’link to help you tell your employees about:
Share this information with your employees via email, post flyers in your breakroom, and include this messaging on your company intranet or employee newsletters.
More about measles from Dr. David Buchholz
Here are some facts about measles from Dr. David Buchholz, pediatrician and medical director, Collaborative Healthcare Solutions at Premera Blue Cross.
What is measles?
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses you can get, since it’s spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms include a high fever (103° to 104°F), runny nose, cough, watery red eyes, fatigue, and body aches. Though these symptoms are similar to influenza (flu), measles produces a rash on the face that spreads outwardly across the entire body. The rash usually begins two to three days following the start of the fever.
What are the recommendations for the MMR vaccine?
Premera Blue Cross follows the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. For children, there are two doses: the first from ages 12 to 15 months, and the second from ages 4 to 6 years. Adults born in 1957 or later should get one dose if they didn’t have measles or get the vaccine as a child. People who have compromised immune systems or are pregnant shouldn’t get the vaccine. Children 6 to 11 months old should also get an earlier dose of MMR if they live in an epidemic area or if their parent plans to take them into one.
Can children younger than 12 months get the vaccine?
Premera follows CDC guidelines for the MMR vaccination. If your employees have a concern about their child, they should contact their pediatrician or primary care physician about vaccinations.
Does Premera cover the MMR vaccine?
Since this is a preventive vaccination, the vaccine is covered under Premera plans.
How did this Washington measles outbreak happen?
Washington is an under-vaccinated state. If everyone got the vaccine, measles would go away, since it is a disease that does not live outside of humans. Measles is potentially 100 percent avoidable.