Measles update for Sunday evening
Dear UCI Community:
As you know, UCI was informed on Friday evening that one of our graduate students has a confirmed case of the measles. A cross-functional team was immediately established, and we issued two university-wide messages yesterday – one from the Chancellor and another from the Student Health Center – to help our community make informed decisions about their health. This will be our final update this weekend.
Last night, we reported that the approximately 500 students and a few faculty who were exposed to the affected student had not confirmed their immunity status. We were able to clear approximately 200 of those individuals today and we’re reaching out to the remaining 300 to verify their status. Faculty and academic staff who were exposed have been in contact with their deans and campus administration. Other faculty or staff who believe they were exposed should verify their immunity status through their health records or medical provider.
While there have been no additional measles cases reported on the campus in Irvine, the UCI Medical Center treated an infant with a now-confirmed case of measles earlier today. The infant was transferred to CHOC and our medical professionals and staff in Orange are being notified.
The best way to protect yourself from a measles infection is through immunizations. Students should log in to the UCI Student Health Portal account to ensure that their measles immunity status is documented, either with two MMR vaccines or a positive rubeola/measles blood titer. If the status is not complete, information should be uploaded into the account as soon as possible so the immunity status can be reviewed and cleared. Those requiring assistance uploading information may send a secure message to the “measles inbox” in the health portal, schedule an online immunization appointment, or call the Student Health Center for support. General questions or concerns about measles or other health issues may addressed through the Anthem Nurse Advice Line at (877) 351-3457 at any time, 24 hours per day.
Those experiencing measles symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. Students with symptoms are encouraged to call the Student Health Center before visiting so the clinical team can provide advice and prepare for the visit. Faculty and staff with symptoms who were in the areas of exposure at the designated times should contact our occupational health partner, Newport Urgent Care, at (949) 752-6300. Faculty and staff with additional questions and concerns should contact the Workers’ Compensation and Disability Management office in Human Resources at wcdm@uci.edu.
We continue to see no reason to disrupt our normal operations, so classes and programming will proceed tomorrow as scheduled. Medical colleagues at the Orange County Health Care Agency informed us that a quarantine of our on-campus residents is not necessary.
Our outreach efforts will continue until the immunity status of all those exposed is determined. The safety and health of our campus community is always our primary concern.
Sincerely,
Albert Chang, MD, MPH
Medical Director, UCI Student Health Center
