Measles comes to AZ

From the website of Navajo County -

First Confirmed Cases of Measles in Arizona for 2025 Identified in Navajo County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 9, 2025
First Confirmed Cases of Measles in Arizona for 2025 Identified in Navajo County

Navajo County, AZ — The Navajo County Public Health Services District (NCPHSD), in coordination with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), has confirmed four cases of measles within Navajo County. The individuals were not immunized and have a recent history of international travel. All individuals were exposed through a single source. These mark the first confirmed measles cases in both Navajo County and the state of Arizona in 2025.

Public health officials are actively working to identify locations where potential exposure may have occurred and are in the process of notifying individuals who may have been exposed. Those identified will be advised to monitor for symptoms for 21 days following the exposure period and to consider avoiding public spaces or high-risk environments during that time.

Potential exposure dates: May 17–28, 2025

Unvaccinated individuals, particularly those who may have been exposed, are urged to be vigilant in monitoring for early symptoms of measles, which typically appear 7–14 days after exposure.

Navajo County is a relatively remote county in NE Arizona but people in Maricopa County (and elsewhere) have to worry, too.

From the website of the Arizona Emergency Information Network -

Public Health Confirms Measles Exposure at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

Individuals who were at the airport during exposure timeframe should know and watch for symptoms

Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) has confirmed that a person infectious with measles traveled through Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. MCDPH is working with federal, state, and airport officials to protect travelers who may have been exposed.

“MCDPH is coordinating with other agencies to notify people who may have been exposed so they can watch for symptoms and get care if any develop,” said Dr. Nick Staab, Chief Medical Officer for MCDPH. “With a virus as highly infectious as measles, it’s a reminder that we all should stay up-to-date on our vaccines to keep ourselves and those around us safe.”

Details of the public exposure are:

• Location: Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Terminal 4, beyond security checkpoints, Concourses C and D
• Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
• Time: 5PM to midnight

Routinely, anyone who was on the same flight as a person with a confirmed case of measles will be notified directly by their local public health department.

Measles can linger in the air for up to two hours after the infectious person leaves, and the stated exposure window includes that time.

Measles spreads by direct contact with an infected person or through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. A person with measles can give the disease to other people even before they feel sick. Measles can cause serious illness, especially in young children, pregnant women and people with depressed immune systems.

Approximately 90% of unvaccinated individuals who are exposed to measles will become infected. Measles is preventable with two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, typically given during childhood. Adults need at least one dose of MMR vaccine given after the age of one. Individuals born before 1957 or who had measles as a child are considered immune.

Navajo County isn't *quite* the epicenter of anti-vaxxer sentiment in AZ (Yavapai County is), but it's pretty bad there.

From the Arizona Department of Health Services -

Note: This table shows vaccination rates in Kindergarten (since measles is supposed to be a childhood disease, it seems appropriate) in the 2022-2023 school year (the most recent for which a report was available).

More recent data is available here.

While Texas has been the hardest hit state, it's hardly the only state hit by a measles outbreak (notwithstanding the subject of this post).

From the CDC -

It's not just cases of measles that are on the rise in AZ.

From AZFamily, written by Alaina Kwan, dated 5/30/2025 -

Whooping cough cases up 80% from last year in Arizona

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is on the rise in Arizona this year.

Cases have been surging nationwide; however, Arizona has seen an 80% increase compared to the same time last year, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Whooping cough is an airborne respiratory illness. Banner Health intensive care pediatrician Dr. Rahul Chawla said it can be dangerous for babies and young kids.

Since this is a political blog, I'll make the 2nd to last item a little political.

Also from the CDC -

The number of measles case nationally, 1267, are only exceeded by the number in 2019, 1274.

Cheeto was POTUS in both years.  Probably not a coincidence.

Oh, and the "1274" number is 2019 is thru the full year while this year's 1267 is only thru 7/1.

It'll get worse.

Before getting the disease, or even being being exposed to it, get vaccinated.  It'll protect you and any people around you.

If you have, or suspect you have, measles (or another communicable disease, self isolate and if you have to seek treatment, call your healthcare provider's office before you visit them, and follow their instructions before doing so (from an advisory from Coconino County Health and Human Services).

Has the measles outbreak hit AZ yet? No. Has the stupidity outbreak hit AZ yet? Yes.

 And that "Yes" is an unequivocal one.

First, the good news - measles has yet to hit AZ.

From the CDC -

As of this writing, there have no cases of measles reported in AZ, but nationally, there have been more cases so far this year than in any other year since 2000 (the CDC didn't publish figures for years prior to that).  The only year with more measles cases for the entire year was 2019, and we're not even halfway through 2025 yet.

Also from the CDC -

Now the bad news - the "no cases in AZ" thing  seems poised to change in short order.

From KJZZ, written by Fatima Gabir of Cronkite News -

As measles spread in the U.S., anti-vaccine sentiment continues to grow in Arizona

Health professionals say mixed messaging from top officials along with widespread misinformation is contributing to declining vaccination rates, particularly in rural counties where health care access is already limited.

“For a person who’s not trained in medicine, science, or public health, it’s a confusing mix of messages they receive, and they don’t have any good way to sort it out,” said Dr. Doug Campos-Outcalt, a physician and public health expert at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine.

[snip]

A CDC report shows that 8.5% of Arizona’s kindergartners skipped required vaccinations through exemptions last school year. In Arizona, parents need to submit a “personal beliefs” form to their child’s school to opt out of vaccination. The data included homeschooled children to a limited extent.

[snip]

“It’s scary to think that we could potentially have that again, with diseases that could be prevented because of vaccines. We’re putting ourselves in a situation where we’re going to overrun our hospitals again. We’re going to overwork our already overworked health care workers. Our infrastructure can’t handle it again,” {RN Brandi} Giles said.

Get vaccinated.

2 of Arizona's top health officials resign during a measles outbreak. Betcha Sen. Jake Hoffman is happy.

Don't take the bet; I already know he is happy.

A few days ago, I wrote a post updating my legislative schedule post about how the Senate committee on Director Nominations was going to meet to consider the nomination of Carmen Heredia to be the director of AHCCCS.

That was rendered moot by subsequent events.

From AZ Mirror, written by Gloria Rebecca Gomez -

Two top Arizona health officials resign amid ‘unprecedented politicization’ of process

Two of Arizona’s top public health officials have resigned rather than face an acrimonious confirmation process at the legislature, where Republicans have used agency director hearings to play hardball politics with Gov. Katie Hobbs and stymie her government. 

On Wednesday, Hobbs announced that Jennie Cunico, the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, and Carmen Heredia, who heads Arizona’s Health Care Cost Containment System, the state’s Medicaid program, have stepped down from their positions. Heredia was scheduled to go before the state Senate’s Committee on Director Nominations for consideration on Thursday. 

[snip]

Republicans celebrated the resignations. Sen. Jake Hoffman, a Republican from Queen Creek who chairs the Director Nominations Committee and who also heads the legislature’s far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus, said they are a “testament” to the work done by lawmakers to ensure candidates are the best choice for Arizonans. 

Hoffman denounced Heredia for what he said was “mismanagement” of the state’s Medicaid program and blamed her for the sober home living fraud that targeted Arizona’s indigenous community and cost taxpayers $2.5 billion. 

Note1: Governor Hobbs' press release on the resignations is here.

Note2: Hoffman's Snoopy Dance press release celebrating the resignations is here.

Note3: The sober home living fraud that killed people took place during the administration of Doug Ducey, one of his fellow Republicans.  Hoffman can try to blame the folks who found it and put a stop to it, but his blame-shifting doesn't change the reality of the fraud.

Hoffman has an "interesting" sense of timing.  The U.S. is experiencing a massive measles outbreak and Hoffman thinks that Arizona losing two of its top public health officials now is a good thing.

Caveat: As of this writing, there are no reported measles infections in Arizona. 

From the CDC -

While there are no reported cases in AZ, it may just be a matter of time.

From Axios, written by Jeremy Duda and Jaden Amos, dated March 5 -

Low vaccination rates a warning sign for measles in Arizona

Arizona hasn't had a reported measles case so far this year, but red flags are leading some experts to worry we could see an outbreak like the one in Texas.

Why it matters: Some Arizona counties have lower measles vaccination rates than in west Texas, where the outbreak has infected at least 159 people since it was first reported in early February and has killed one child.

What they're saying: There are "places here where it could spin out of control, just like it has in Texas. The conditions are right here for that to happen in some parts of the state," Arizona Public Health Association executive director Will Humble told Axios.

As kids are the ones who have died from measles in 2025 the kindergarten vaccination rates in the 2022-2023 school year, from the Arizona Department of Health Services - 

Wonder if the kingmaker-wannabe (in Republican politics, anyway) is aware that dead people don't vote, even in R primaries?

Measles. It's contagious. It kills people.

From the website of the Texas Department of Health Services -

As of this writing, there were no reported cases in Arizona, but it seems to be a matter of time. From Axios, written by Jeremy Duda, dated 3/5/3025 -

Low vaccination rates a warning sign for measles in Arizona

Arizona hasn't had a reported measles case so far this year, but red flags are leading some experts to worry we could see an outbreak like the one in Texas.

Why it matters: Some Arizona counties have lower measles vaccination rates than in west Texas, where the outbreak has infected at least 159 people since it was first reported in early February and has killed one child.

What they're saying: There are "places here where it could spin out of control, just like it has in Texas. The conditions are right here for that to happen in some parts of the state," Arizona Public Health Association executive director Will Humble told Axios.

State of play: A vaccination rate above 95% is needed to prevent measles from spreading, according to the National Institutes of Health.

As of last week, the CDC reported that there were measles cases reported in 12 states.  Add Vermont to that list.

There are a lot of folks who, instead of getting vaccinations for them and their children, seek to elevate their kids' immunity by exposing them to the disease.

Not a bright idea; when I was young  (which was a while ago :) ), our parents would do so when confronted with a case of chickenpox.  So that would be OK, except for one difference.

Chickenpox doesn't kill people.

So, in a word, 

Don't.

Get vaccinated. 

Haven't we heard this one before?  Cheeto is POTUS, a deadly disease is killing folks, a lot of people are lying about it, and he's doing nothing.