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MARCH 5, 2025
VOL. 106, NO. 10
& QueenAnne&Magnolia news QueenAnne
First measles case of 2025 in Washington state identified in a King County infant
Magnolia news Seattle & King County Public Health
LAURA MARIE RIVERA
Artist Steven Reddy works on one of his signature line drawings with watercolor detail at a Queen Anne coffee shop.
ART AS A FORM OF DIARY By Laura Marie Rivera Contributing Writer
Steven Reddy is an eclectic artist that makes his way through life one drawing at a time. And he wants to share what took him a lifetime to figure out, “I wish people knew that it was possible ... to make a life as an artist.” Reddy has been drawing for as long as he can remember and considers art as his first language. He said he has always drawn ever since his mom gave him crayons and paper to keep him busy. He had many different jobs throughout his life but his art was always there. "I loved drawing so much that I never gave it up," he said and eventually it became his career. Although Reddy grew up in the Puyallup/ Tacoma area, he describes his high school years in Alaska as, “the best thing that ever happened to me.” When an upperclassman shared their journal, which was a sketchbook filled with drawings and artifacts, Reddy instantly knew that would be his thing. He now has over 100 sketchbooks and
COURTESY OF STEVEN REDDY
A watercolor painting of a local coffee shop by Steven Reddy that features one of the artist's pen and ink line drawings. considers his art as a form of diary. “All my work is autobiographical.” During the pandemic, he adopted a beautiful dog named Willa and quickly realized that he’d need a home with a yard. Reddy and Willa set out to find a comfortable home in a nice
neighborhood that they could explore. They landed in Queen Anne and the rest is an artistic history. Reddy has found endless material for his distinctive pen and ink drawings. “I love that Queen Anne is walkable. And so beautiful,” he said. Reddy prefers
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the Craftsman style over the modern designs that he finds boring. “I like clutter, density, details packed in. Manmade intricate scenes are my favorite to draw.” Some of these locally inspired works will be on
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Public Health – Seattle & King County was notified Feb. 26, of a confirmed measles case in a King County infant. The infant may have been exposed to measles during recent travel abroad. Exposed individuals should check to make sure they have been vaccinated against measles. “Measles is easily spread from person to person. If one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected,” said Dr. Eric Chow, Communicable Disease Chief for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “We are seeing increases in measles cases within and outside the US. Talk to your doctor about checking your vaccination status and get vaccinated now if you aren’t already protected.” Fortunately, the measles vaccine is very effective. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine provides about 97% protection against getting infected by measles and that protection lasts a lifetime. In 2024, there were three cases of measles in King County. Herd immunity, which helps prevent rapid spread of diseases among a large population, requires about 95% of people to be vaccinated against measles because it is so infectious. We are likely to see more frequent and larger outbreaks when vaccination rates are lower than that. An estimated 87% of 2-year-olds in King County are up to date on the MMR vaccine (having received one dose of the MMR vaccine). An estimated 72% of 4–6-year-olds in King County have received 2 doses of the MMR vaccine. Infants and children under 5 years old are at risk of severe disease from measles, and receiving one dose of MMR can provide crucial protection from complications. Children are eligible for a second dose of MMR at 4 years old and parents should be encouraged to get the second dose as soon as possible instead of waiting until the child is enrolled in school. Locations of potential exposure to the public Spread of measles can occur before people know they have the disease, before any rash appears. The infant was at the following public locations before being diagnosed with measles. These times include the period when the individual was at the location and two hours after. All three medical facilitates listed below are notifying patients and families who may have been exposed, providing information about the exposure date and disease symptoms to watch for. Measles virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after someone contagious with measles leaves the area. Anyone who was at the following locations during the times listed could have been exposed to measles: ■ Feb. 20 from 6-9 p.m. at Apple Store at Bellevue Square, 213 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA. ■ Feb. 21 and Feb. 22 from 10:30 p.m. to 2: 15 a.m. at Seattle Children’s Hospital Emergency Department, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105 ■ Feb. 24 from 1-4 p.m. at Allegro Pediatrics – Bothell, 11724 NE 195th St, Ste 100, Bothell, WA 98011 ■ Feb. 25 from 1-4 p.m. at Northwest Asthma & Allergy Center, 8301 161st Ave NE, Ste 308, Redmond, WA 98052 ■ Feb. 25 from 2:30-5:30 p.m. at Seattle Children’s Hospital Emergency Department, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105 ■ What to do if you were in a location of potential measles exposure ■ Most people in our area have immunity to measles through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low. However, anyone who was in the locations of
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