A Costco location in Gilroy, California is one of the latest sites exposed to the measles outbreak that began at Disneyland in mid-December. A measles-infected shopper visited the store while contagious, according to a Santa Clara County health official and NBC News Bay Area.
Warning flyers were posted at the Costco and a nearby Walmart that the shopper reportedly visited on January 18. The shopper may also have visited a nearby restaurant, according to NBC Bay Area; however, the name of the restaurant has not been released.
A recently released study documented lower levels of vaccination against the once-considered-eradicated viral disease among the graduate-level educated and lower income communities in northern California. Though reasons varied for under-vaccination, some parents site controversial connections to debilitating health side effects from the vaccination as a reason to opt out of having their children receive basic vaccinations.
Public health officials have now started urging adults to seek a measles booster even if they have had the shot series in the past. Many of those infected with the disease have reportedly not received the vaccination, however.
Last week, Huntington Beach High School sent two dozen under-vaccinated students home as a case of the disease hit their school.
The California Department of Public Health website lists 68 confirmed cases of the disease as of Friday, some with links to the Disney outbreak. The same report lists 10 cases outside of California, including Arizona, Nebraska, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Utah and Mexico.
Photo: File
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