Santa Monica High School Day Care Center Closed After Baby Contracts Measles

SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com) — A child-care center at Santa Monica High School was closed Monday after a baby contracted measles.

The high school sent a letter to parents Sunday after the child tested positive at the Samohi Infant Toddler Center, which is used by faculty and teen parents enrolled in the school. The center cares for 26 children.

"District staff are contacting parents of children in the Infant Toddler Program to share this information and ask them to monitor their children for potential symptoms of the measles," Santa Monica-Malibu United School District Superintendent Sandra Lyon said in the letter.

The child was too young to be vaccinated. Late Monday afternoon, public health officials determined that 14 infants, including the baby with measles, would be quarantined for 21 days, a public relations officer for the district said.

"Unfortunately, the baby was contagious while in the child care center before a fever broke and a rash started and the parent was concerned," district spokeswoman Gail Pinsker said.

Pinsker added: "All the families that are impacted by the quarantine will be contacted by the public health department most likely even still today with information, support and direction regarding this quarantine."

The toddler room inside the day-care center may open as early as Friday, while the infant room will be closed indefinitely. Babies over 1 year old with documentation of the measles vaccination will be allowed to return to the toddler room, which was being disinfected.

The high school was operating as usual.

"Under the direction of the Public Health Department, they are doing a contact investigation, which will determine if there is any additional concern or exposure beyond the infant-toddler center," Pinsker said.

This is the second case of measles reported on the Santa Monica High School campus. Two weeks ago, a baseball coach reportedly contracted the disease.

There are at least 102 reported cases of measles in 14 states, according to CDC statistics. More than 90 of those cases are in California, most of which have been linked to exposure in mid-December at Disneyland.