Christian County measles case prompts state health officials to stress importance of immunizations

A case of measles in Christian County has state health officials warning of a possible outbreak and reminding residents of the importance of vaccination.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services says the individual who tested positive for measles was not vaccinated, and is believed to have been exposed through contact with an out-of-state visitor from a community currently experiencing an ongoing outbreak. Health officials are suspecting a wider outbreak in the area due to additional unconfirmed reports of the disease.

The health cabinet says measles is a “highly contagious respiratory virus that can cause serious health complications, especially in children.” The American Academy of Pediatrics and other experts, however, say two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97 percent effective against the disease.

The health cabinet says the immunization rate among Kentucky kindergartners has recently increased to 90.7 percent, but this remains among the lowest rates in the nation. This comes as the United States is experiencing its largest measles outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.

Contact your local health department or your primary care provider for more information about measles and the vaccine.