By: Michael Achterling
WILLISTON, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – About 180 Williston-area students are isolating at home after three schools were notified by public health officials of measles exposure on their campuses.
Unvaccinated students at Missouri Ridge Elementary, Williston Middle School and Williston High School were told they need to isolate for 21 days to ensure they were not infected, said Paula Lankford, spokesperson for Williston Basin School District 7. The precaution is to prevent students from unknowingly spreading the virus to others.
Health officials on Tuesday confirmed nine cases of measles in Williams County in northwest North Dakota. Daphne Clark, spokesperson for the Upper Missouri District Health Unit, said the measles cases are considered part of an outbreak because health officials believe community spread is occurring without direct contact with known carriers of the illness.
Four people diagnosed with measles were in Williston schools while infectious, the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services said.
The entire campuses of the affected schools were considered exposed, Lankford said.
The quarantine requirement affects some unvaccinated fourth grade students who were touring Williston Middle School on the day of the exposure, Lankford said. It also affects a few other students who don’t attend the affected schools but shared a bus ride with an exposed student, she said.
“Each of the schools is going to work with those families that are excluded to ensure that they have educational opportunities for their kids and connections with teachers through digital means,” Lankford said.
The Williston school district has a total enrollment of about 5,300 students.
Lankford encouraged parents, students or community members to contact their school or health care provider if they have questions.
“What’s obviously on our side is that there is not that much school left,” Lankford said. “We are done here on May 23rd.”
If Williston High School seniors under quarantine do not show any symptoms after their 21-day isolation, they will be allowed to participate in graduation commencement at the end of May, she said.
Of the confirmed cases, two are children under 10; five are between ages 10 and 19; one is between 30 and 39 and one is between 40 and 49, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The first case reported Friday was a Williams County child who is believed to have contracted measles from an out-of-state visitor.
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rate for Williams County kindergarten students is 81% for the 2024-25 school year, down from 87% two years ago, according to the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. The rate is 95% for seventh graders and 97% for 11th graders. Public health officials say 95% is needed to prevent community spread.
The Upper Missouri District Health Unit, which serves Williams County as well as Divide, McKenzie and Mountrail counties, is holding walk-in vaccination clinics at 110 W. Broadway, Williston, from 1-7 p.m. Thursday and 8:30 to 6 p.m. Friday.
“I feel like we maybe will be busy,” Clark said. “We’re fielding some phone calls today with people with questions, but you never know what that’ll look like when it actually becomes time.”
Clark said anyone experiencing cold symptoms or anyone who has been in contact with a carrier of the illness should not attend the vaccination clinic. Clark said those people should quarantine themselves for 21 days to prevent further spread of the disease.
“I think the biggest thing is, if they are a case contact or they are sick, don’t come to the clinic,” she said.
The vaccinations are not free of charge, she said, so clinic attendees will want to bring their private health insurance cards with them. Depending on their ages, those without health insurance could be eligible for reduced pricing through a state-funded vaccination program.
“I think there’s a lot of concern and I just recommend people go to trusted sites to get their information,” Clark said of community members who may be vaccine hesitant. She added the North Dakota Health and Human Services website is a good source for those looking for more information on the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines.
Those planning on attending the walk-in MMR vaccine clinic in Williston can fill out the organization’s immunization consent form ahead of time to speed up the process once they arrive. The form can be found on the Upper Missouri District Health Unit website.
CHI St. Alexius Health medical center in Williston also urged people with symptoms to stay home and call a health care provider prior to coming to the clinic. CHI needed to temporarily close its Williston walk-in clinic on Wednesday after a possible measles exposure was reported, according to a social media post by the health care provider.
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, eye irritation followed by a body-wide rash. For information about measles, vaccines or local clinic availability, contact the HHS Immunization Unit at 701-328-2378 or visit hhs.nd.gov/measles.
Health officials also urged anyone who visited the Williston Walmart between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on April 29 to monitor for symptoms and contact a health care provider if symptoms develop.
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