Pennsylvania health officials issued a health alert on Oct. 19 telling clinicians that pregnant women without measles immunity who are exposed to the virus can receive immunoglobulin, an antibody treatment, within six days of their first exposure. The guidance came as the state's confirmed measles count rose to 1,286 cases across 42 counties, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
The alert matters because pregnant women cannot get the measles vaccine. For an expectant mother who is not immune, immunoglobulin is one of the few tools available after an exposure. The same option applies to exposed babies.
