Measles Cases in Ohio

Measles is a highly contagious viral illness.

Individuals infected with measles can spread it to others, even before they have symptoms.  The measles virus can live for up to two hours in the air after an infected person leaves the room.  Nine out of 10 unvaccinated people who are exposed to measles will become infected.

If infected, symptoms may not occur right away. 

Symptoms usually appear 7-14 days after a person comes in contact with the virus, but it can take as long as 21 days for symptoms to appear. Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and a rash beginning 3-5 days after other symptoms occur.  Measles can cause severe health complications, including pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, and death.  Complications from measles are more common among children younger than 5, adults older than 20, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems. As many as one in 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, the most common cause of death from measles in young children.

The measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine is highly protective against measles infection.

One dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine provides 93% protection against measles and two doses provide 97% protection.

The CDC recommends all children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12-15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. MMR vaccine can also be given to adults born after 1957 who are not vaccinated, or whose vaccination status is unknown. For individuals not protected by prior immunization or disease, CDC recommends that all persons older than 6 months receive MMR vaccine prior to traveling internationally or to an area with ongoing measles transmission.

Getting the MMR vaccine is important because it protects your child from measles, mumps, and rubella, potentially serious diseases caused by viruses. The vaccine keeps your child from missing school or childcare; and you from missing work to care for your sick child.

Quarantine is needed for those individuals who were exposed and do not have documentation of vaccination or immunity to measles.

People infected with measles can spread it to others, even before they have symptoms.   Quarantine periods for susceptible (unvaccinated) contacts is long.  Unless vaccinated within 72 hours of exposure, the quarantine period is 21 days after exposure.  In a school or daycare setting, the quarantine period is 21 days after rash onset in the last case of measles.  Vaccination limits the size, duration, and spread of outbreaks.

Declines in measles vaccination rates globally have increased the risk of outbreaks.

During 2022, an outbreak centered in central Ohio totaled 85 cases. Most large outbreaks of measles in the U.S. have occurred among close-knit and under-vaccinated communities. Many international locations are reporting ongoing measles transmission, including neighboring Ontario, Canada. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a health advisory for an expanding measles outbreak in the U.S. with most cases occurring in Texas and New Mexico.

When seeking care for measles:

If interested in receiving vaccination, please contact your healthcare provider or contact the

Sidney-Shelby County Health Department at 937-498-7249.

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