Bartlesville, Okla. — A report of a measles diagnosis at Wayside Elementary School was quickly corrected after the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) confirmed there was no measles case.
On Tuesday afternoon, Bartlesville Public Schools announced that a teacher at Wayside Elementary had been diagnosed with measles and was being treated at an Oklahoma hospital. However, the Oklahoma State Department of Health later issued a statement disputing this claim.
The OSDH clarified that the test result reported by the district was not a positive diagnosis for measles, but rather a positive test for immunity. The test was part of a series of tests conducted to confirm a potential measles case, but in this instance, it showed immunity rather than an active infection.
“As of now, there are no confirmed cases of measles in Oklahoma,” an OSDH spokesperson said.
In response to the confusion, Bartlesville Public Schools amended their initial statement on their website and issued a clarification. The district also confirmed that custodial staff at Wayside Elementary had completed a thorough cleaning of all surfaces, although they noted that measles is an airborne disease and extremely contagious.
Measles is preventable through vaccination, and most individuals in the United States are at a low risk for contracting the disease due to widespread vaccination efforts. The OSDH also took to social media to further clarify the situation and reassure the public that no measles cases had been confirmed in the state.
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of timely and accurate health information, especially when it comes to highly contagious diseases like measles. For now, both the school district and health officials are emphasizing that there is no ongoing measles outbreak in Bartlesville.
