Philadelphia Warns Of Measles Outbreak After Quarantined Kid Sent To Daycare Anyway

Health officials in Philadelphia are urging members of the public to ensure they’re vaccinated againstmeasles ― and to follow quarantine orders if they’re exposed ― amid an outbreak of the extremely contagious virus in the city and surrounding area.

At least eight people have been diagnosed with measles as of Friday, a spokesperson for the city’s Health Department told HuffPost. The number of confirmed cases has held steady since Monday.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing cases of measles that have spread to vulnerable individuals including young children due to people declining vaccination and also failing to adhere to quarantine recommendations,” Philadelphia Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said in a release last week.

“We are asking all city residents who may have been exposed to measles to do their part to ensure that no additional infants are harmed by this infection,” she said.

The current outbreak began in December, when an infected patient was admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The infant had recently been in a country where measles infections still regularly occur, per the paper, and they were admitted to the hospital with a fever — but didn’t develop the telltale measles rash until days later.

During the patient’s hospital stay, the city said, three other patients who were also not immune to measles ― that is, they hadn’t been vaccinated and hadn’t previously tested positive for the virus — were exposed and later tested positive.

The virus then spread again at a daycare, after a child with a confirmed case of the virus was dropped off on Dec. 20 and 21, disregarding quarantine orders, the city said. At least two children at the daycare later tested