Providence Swedish and Public Health – Seattle & King County are contacting those who may have been exposed to the disease. 

Providence Swedish has confirmed that a pediatric patient with measles was treated at the First Hill Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) on Saturday, June 21 to Sunday, June 22. The child was tested which confirmed measles. An adult family member of the child has also been confirmed positive for measles.  

The pediatric patient was admitted at Issaquah Emergency Department before being transferred to First Hill, and while it has been determined there was no exposure risk to other patients, families or staff during admission and treatment, there was a small exposure window from 9:15-11:45 a.m., June 22, as the patient was leaving First Hill hospital, which includes the main lobby, east tower and east tower elevators. 

Providence Swedish is working closely with Public Health – Seattle & King County to contact patients who may have been exposed to measles, providing further direction for care and/or vaccinations. 

During the patient’s treatment at Providence Swedish, staff followed thorough screening measures for the symptoms present and followed measles precautions and protocols to ensure the health and safety of our patients, their family members and our caregivers.  

Providence Swedish urges anyone who visited the First Hill hospital during the exposure period to seek medical advice and monitor for symptoms for 14 days following possible exposure: 

• Providence Swedish First Hill Main Lobby, East Tower, and East Tower Elevators, 9:15-11:45 a.m., Sunday, June 22. Exposed individuals should monitor for symptoms from June 21-July 13. 

Outside of Providence Swedish facilities, the two individuals visited multiple locations in Bellevue, Issaquah, Mercer Island and Newcastle, including Overlake Clinics Newcastle Urgent Care and Seattle Children’s Hospital. See the full details in the Public Health – Seattle & King County  news release.  

About measles  

Measles is a highly contagious and potentially severe disease, causing fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. If one person contracts measles, up to nine out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The disease mainly spreads through the air after a person with measles coughs or sneezes. 

People infected with measles are contagious four days before the rash starts through four days after the rash appears. The incubation period for measles from exposure to fever is usually about seven to 10 days, and from exposure to rash onset is usually about 10-14 days (with a range of seven to 21 days.) People can spread measles before they have the characteristic measles rash. Measles can lead to ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, and in rare cases, encephalitis (brain inflammation) or death. 

Healthy people can experience complications from measles, but those at highest risk include infants and children under five years, adults over 20 years, pregnant people, and those with weakened immune systems. 

Vaccination offers safe, effective measles protection 

To prevent measles, Providence Swedish strongly recommends everyone receive the safe and highly effective MMR vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles and providing long-lasting protection. 

About Providence Swedish

Providence Swedish has served the Puget Sound region since the first Providence hospital opened in Seattle in 1877 and the first Swedish hospital opened in 1910. The two organizations affiliated in 2012 and today comprise the largest health care delivery system in Western Washington, with 22,000 caregivers, eight hospitals and 244 clinics throughout Western Washington – from Everett to Centralia. A not-for-profit family of organizations, Providence Swedish provides more than $545 million in community benefit in the Puget Sound region each year. The health system offers a comprehensive range of services and specialty and subspecialty care in a number of clinical areas, including cancer, cardiovascular health, neurosciences, orthopedics, digestive health and women’s and children’s care.