Several Disneyland employees have been diagnosed with measles following the outbreak of the viral infection within the theme park mid-December 2014, bringing to 53 the number of people already diagnosed with the disease.
Disneyland has often been called “The Happiest Place On Earth” but of recent, it has been a source of sorrow and health concerns to individuals, families, and governments – especially with the spread of the theme park-related measles to four states within the US and Mexico.
“There is evidence of ongoing measles transmission in Orange County and at Disneyland Parks,” Nicole Stanfield, spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Care Agency, said in a statement. “Several Disneyland employees in multiple jurisdictions” have been diagnosed with measles, Stanfield said. “This is not unexpected.”
Disneyland officials said five employees have been diagnosed with measles and while two of them had not been vaccinated, the management has asked all other workers to go for vaccination or provide documented proofs of immunization.
“As soon as the OC Health Care Agency notified us on January 7, we immediately began to communicate to our Cast to raise awareness,” Dr. Pamela Hymel, Chief Medical Officer, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said in a statement. “In an abundance of caution, we also offered vaccinations and immunity tests.”
Three of the five infected employees have been treated and medically cleared; and officials have asked employees who could not provide proofs of their immunity status to proceed on paid leave until their status can be confirmed – however, a blood test can show if an individual has built immunity to the illness.
Orange County, home to Disneyland, has been worse hit by the measles outbreak with about 18 patients located within the county – five children and 13 adults. Eleven out of these 18 people had spent some time at Disneyland within the outbreak period, and seven others contracted the airborne illness somewhere else within the county. The vaccination records of those infected with measles within Orange County is never known.