There are currently several local outbreaks of measles across the country, including Ashtabula and Knox counties in Ohio (ODH Press Release). Currently there are no active cases in Franklin County. Hilliard Pediatrics' physicians are monitoring the situation and are in communication with infectious disease doctors at Nationwide Children's Hospital for the latest information and updates.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by a virus. When a person has measles, they infect approximately 12-18 other people.

Symptoms typically include:

• High fever (may spike to more than 104°F)
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes
• Measles Rash - typically appears 3-5 days after symptoms begin, characterized by flat, red spots that start on the face and then spread down the neck and trunk to the rest of the body

Before widespread use of the vaccine in the United States, each year an average of 450 people died from the measles, most of which did not have any underlying medical conditions.

• About 1 out of 5 children with measles will be hospitalized.
• 1 in 20 children with measles get pneumonia.
• Approximately 1 to 3 in 1,000 children who get measles die from their infection.

There is no cure for measles. There are no antibiotics or antiviral medications to treat measles.

The most important thing you can do is make sure all children and adults in your household are up to date on their recommended vaccinations - all of them. 

• At this time, the recommendation for central Ohio is to continue to follow the routine immunization schedule for MMR vaccination, unless you are traveling internationally or to a county that has revised their current vaccination recommendations (currently only Texas and Kansas).
  • Hilliard Pediatrics does not routinely administer travel vaccines and will only be administering early doses for those traveling internationally or to an outbreak county that has revised their recommended vaccination schedule (Texas and Kansas only).
  • Note: Early vaccination before 1 year of age is an extra dose, dose 0, and may not be covered by health insurance.
• The routine schedule for MMR is as follows:
  • First dose - 12-15 months of age
  • Second dose - 4-6 years of age
• We are monitoring the situation closely and will follow the CDC, Ohio Department of Health, and Franklin County Public Health guidelines as the situation continues to evolve.
  • Many of you may recall the Franklin County measles outbreak that occurred in the winter of 2022-23. During that outbreak, we followed local health department guidelines for early vaccination of the second dose MMR and hosted vaccine clinics in our office.
• Before travel, check the CDC travel health notices for your destination.  CDC Travel Health Notices.
  • All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against mealses with the MMR vaccine, including an early dose for infants 6-11 months.
  • Texas and Kansas are currently recommending early vaccination for specific counties only. No other health departments have adjusted their vaccine recommendations at this time.
  • Travelers are at risk of measles if they have not been fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure or have not had measles in the past and travel internationally.

Here are a few sites that we recommend for additional information about the outbreak, measles in general, and the MMR vaccine.

• HealthyChildren.org - How to Protect Your Children During a Measles Outbreak
• CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks - This page is updated every Friday
• CDC: About Measles - Overview of Measles
• CHOP - Increased Measls Activity: How to Protect Your Family
• Ohio Department of Health - Measles Facts and Prevention