County Urges Revaccination in Epidemic of Measles Strain

German measles has reached such epidemic proportions in the county that a county health official has recommended that many students--particularly teen-agers who were vaccinated as infants--be revaccinated as the highly infectious rubella virus spread to two more schools Tuesday.

The two separate cases reported at Bernardo Yorba Junior High in Yorba Linda and Damron Elementary in Cypress on Tuesday brought to 30 the number of students or parents who have come down with measles at 11 county schools in the past month, county epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Prendergast said.

“In an effort to prevent further spread of the disease, we are strongly recommending that all students who received the vaccine between the ages of 12 and 14 months be revaccinated,” Prendergast said.

Children who received the vaccination at that young age are at high risk of contracting the strain, which causes red spots, Prendergast said.

He added that studies have shown that immunizations given at that age are often ineffective.

Risk ‘Greater in Teens’

“The risk of serious illness appears to be greater in teens that in younger children,” Prendergast said.

Also at high risk are the estimated 5% of children in the county who have not been immunized at all against measles, Prendergast said.

Typically, children who have not received measles shots have skipped them for health or religious reasons, he said. At Damron Elementary, for example, three diabetic students and one with a heart condition were sent home Tuesday because they had not been vaccinated, said Donald A. Kouzes, assistant superintendent for the Cypress School district.

These children have been told to remain out of school for two weeks, Kouzes said, unless their doctors conclude that their health is good enough for them to have measles immunizations. In that case, they will be allowed to return to school immediately.

This is the biggest measles outbreak in the county since 1980, when 63 cases were reported, Prendergast said. A dozen cases were reported last year and 14 in 1986.

Children may receive vaccinations for measles from their private physicians, he said, or parents can call the county’s Child Health Services division at (714) 834-3171.

Measles has broken out at nine other schools as well: Newport Harbor High, Ensign Intermediate and Carden Hall Elementary in Newport Beach; Estancia High and Kaiser Elementary in Costa Mesa; Tustin High and Currie Elementary in Tustin; John Marshall High in Westminster and Swain Elementary in Cypress.

While most children recover from rubella in 10 days, Prendergast said that the extremely contagious German measles can cause brain damage and death in some cases. Complications include inner-ear infections, pneumonia or infection of the brain, he said, though other strains of measles are more dangerous and less common.

The symptoms of rubella, Prendergast said, are watery eyes, a fever of above 101 degrees and white spots on the mouth, followed by a body rash in three to five days.