Kentucky measles cases still on the rise; officials urge people to make sure vaccines are up to date
As of Sept. 14, Kentucky has confirmed 42 cases of measles in its current outbreak, up from 35 cases a week ago, according to the state’s measles dashboard.
The dashboard is updated daily by 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, except on state holidays.
Those cases are in Barren (5 cases); Caldwell (2); Christian (19); Owen (2); Todd (1); Trigg (8); and Washington (5) counties. Four people have been hospitalized.
All of the cases, including four in Jessamine County earlier this year, are in individuals who are either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the dashboard.
Further, there is still an advisory for people who might have been exposed to measles in Richmond and Olive Hill after an unvaccinated, out-of-state traveler visited multiple businesses on Aug. 24, Aug. 27 and Aug. 28. If exposed, it is important to monitor yourself for symptoms for 21 days after the exposure, which goes through Sept. 18 for some. Click here to see the measles exposure locations.
Health officials continue to encourage people to make sure they are up to date on their measles vaccinations. Two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles if exposed to the virus, and one dose is 93% effective at preventing measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The measles vaccination series is typically given to children at 12 to 15 months and then at 4 to 6 years old, but people of any age can get the vaccine.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can cause serious health complications, especially in young children. Measles is spread through the air, where it can remain suspended for up to two hours. One infected person can infect nine in 10 unprotected people around them.
Early symptoms of measles begin seven to 14 days after exposure and include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red/watery eyes. The characteristic measles rash can appear three to five days after symptoms begin, usually on the face before spreading down to the rest of the body.
Anyone who is concerned about being exposed to measles is asked to call their provider or local health department to seek guidance on how to proceed. Anyone who has measles should talk to their healthcare provider from home and stay away from other people until their symptoms are resolved.