UCLA’s Measles Quarantine Reduced to 28 Individuals

In a campus-wide news update, UCLA officials said the number of students who remain quarantined related to the measles alert has been reduced to 28, as of April 28, 2019.   

Furthermore, of these 28 students, 1 person is quarantined on campus, while the other 27 are self-isolating in their own residences off-campus. 

This UCLA quarantine was announced on April 24th, when the Department of Public Health in LA County decided to quarantine 119 students and 8 faculty members until their immunity could be determined. 

As of April 26th, there were 702 confirmed measles cases reported by 22 states during 2019.   

UCLA’s Chancellor Gene D. Block, Ph.D., said in a press statement, ‘I know there is concern about measles, particularly among the very small percentage of our community who have not been vaccinated.’ 

‘Please be assured that we have the resources we need for prevention and treatment and that we are working very closely with local public health officials on the matter.’ 

‘For anyone who is concerned they may not have received the standard two-vaccine series, I strongly urge students to visit the Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center and faculty and staff to contact their medical providers,’ said Block. 

UCLA was first notified on April 22nd by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that 1 student had contracted measles. 

Measles is highly contagious and can stay in the air for up to 2 hours after a sick person coughs or sneezes. Measles can also stay on surfaces for many hours. 

About 90 percent of people who are exposed and not immune to measles become ill 7-21 days after exposure. 

And, the risk of the measles virus to pregnant women is substantial. Measles may cause a pregnant woman to give birth prematurely, or have a low-birth-weight baby. 

In accordance with February 1, 2016, California Department of Public Health Immunization and Screening recommendations for college students, UCLA requires 2 doses of Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR) immunization OR positive titer (laboratory evidence of immunity to disease) for incoming students. 

MMR vaccinations are offered by most pharmacies in the LA area. 

If a person doesn’t know their immune status, Public Health recommends they talk with their health care provider. 

UCLA has an enrollment of 44,947 students, including 30,873 undergraduates and 14,074 graduate students, medical and dentistry interns, and residents, as of 2019.

UCLA is located on 419 acres located in Westwood, a community of Los Angeles. The address is University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

More information about measles and the vaccines can be found at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health website.

Information is also available at Bruin Safe Online.

Relevant Links: CDC vaccination schedules, CDC vaccine price list, international travel alerts, and report vaccine side effects.