ODH: First confirmed measles case in 2022 identified
The Ohio Department of Health confirmed Thursday the state’s first case of measles in 2022.
Health officials said the infected child is from Franklin County and recently traveled to another country that had confirmed cases of measles.
The state last saw a confirmed measles outbreak in 2014 when 382 cases were confirmed.
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Ohio Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said, “It is vitally important for children to stay up to date with all of the recommended vaccines. Vaccines protect us against preventable, communicable diseases.”
State health officials said measles is extremely contagious and can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. They continued by saying if one infected person comes into contact with another person who is not immune, 90 percent will become infected.
“In recent years, nationwide we have seen a slight drop in vaccination rates among our children,” Dr. Vanderhoff said. “This has led to several outbreaks, such as measles, that again, are largely preventable.”
For more information about measles, please visit the CDC’s website.
