Measles Outbreak in Ohio Infects 19 Children, Hospitalizing 9
An ongoing measles outbreak has infected 19 children, 9 of who have been hospitalized. 10 Health officials are working to investigate 10 more suspected cases. The Columbus and Franklin County health departments are also coordinating with the CDC on contact tracing to contain the virus’s spread. All of the cases except one are young children less than 4 years old and all are unvaccinated.
Infectious Disease experts emphasize the importance of keeping kids up to date on the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. The first does is typically given between 2 months and 15 months of age and a second is administered between the ages of 4 and 6. Two doses are approximately 97% effective at preventing infection.
On the other hand, unvaccinated people exposed to measles have a 90% chance of becoming infected. Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus that can linger in the air up to 2 hours after an infected person leaves a space. One in five Americans who get measles will be hospitalized.