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A second measles case has been confirmed in Jefferson County.
According to the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, the second case is a known contact of the case reported in mid-July. The contact has been in quarantine since their exposure. There are no new public exposures with the second case, and health officials say the new case is unrelated to the measles outbreak in Woodford and Fayette counties.
Health officials say 14 cases of measles have been confirmed in the commonwealth in 2015, with 13 of those cases unvaccinated and one with only one dose.
Kentucky Chief Medical Officer and Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health Dr. Steven Stack says the best defense against measles is a simple one.
“Two doses of vaccine 97 percent guarantees you will not get measles,” Stack said. “Not just that it’s mild measles. You just will not even get measles if you have two doses of childhood measles vaccine, so it’s really, really important that parents have their child get the MMR immunization as a child along with their other routine immunizations.”
The most recent data for Kentucky kindergartners shows the MMR immunization rate is just under 87 percent. Stack says he encourages parents to talk with their primary care provider to learn more about the vaccine.
“It just troubles me that folks are misleading and confusing the American people about vaccines,” Stack said. “They are incredibly safe. The diseases are far more dangerous if you get them without having been vaccinated, and there’s virtually no risk for most of these vaccines.”
The Lincoln Trail District Health Department provides measles vaccinations at all of its health centers. Contact the health department or your primary care provider for more information.
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