Health Highlights: Jan. 12, 2015

Health Highlights: Jan. 12, 2015

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Disney-Related Measles Outbreak Now Numbers 19 People in Three States

A measles outbreak linked to Disney theme parks in California included 19 people in three states as of Friday, according to health officials.

There are 16 patients in California, two in Utah and one in Colorado. All of them visited Disney land or Disney California Adventure between Dec. 15 and Dec. 20, the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Agency said, the Associated Press reported.

Of the 16 patients in California, only two were confirmed to have been fully vaccinated against the disease, some were partially vaccinated, and at least two were too young to be vaccinated, state officials said.

More people may have been exposed to measles when people with the disease were treated at two local hospitals and a lab, Nicole Stanfield, a spokeswoman for the Orange County’s health care agency, told the AP.

In order to avoid exposing others to the highly contagious disease, anyone with measles symptoms should call their doctor before seeking medical attention, Stanfield said.