Measles Outbreak: Ohio Childcare Facility Shut Down After 4 Fall Ill

A childcare center in Columbus, Ohio, has been shut down after an outbreak of measles at the facility.

Columbus Public Health (CPH) and Franklin County Public Health (FCPH) are investigating the outbreak. So far, there have been four reported cases of measles, all of which were in "unvaccinated children with no travel history."

All the children were below four years old, Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts said at a meeting Wednesday, reported NBC4i. One of them required hospitalization.

The unspecified facility is said to be "cooperating" and has informed the kids' parents. But due to the cases, it has temporarily been shut down and will remain closed for 21 days.

Health authorities are continuing contact tracing to detect any other possible exposures.

"We are working diligently with the cases to identify any potential exposures and to notify people who were exposed," Roberts said in a statement. "The most important thing you can do to protect against measles is to get vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is safe and highly effective."

Measles is said to be "the most contagious of all infectious diseases," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In fact, up to a whopping nine out of 10 (90%) susceptible people who get in close contact with someone with measles will get infected with it.

"Measles virus can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area," noted the CDC.

But, measles is vaccine-preventable, with the MMR vaccine being about 93% (one dose) to 97% (two doses) effective at preventing the disease.

Prior to the licensing of the measles vaccine in 1963, there were about 549,000 cases and 495 deaths related to measles in the U.S. each year, with many more cases likely not reported. Since the declaration of the elimination of measles in the U.S. in 2000, the annual case numbers have ranged from as low as 37 in 2004 to a high of 1,282, which was reported in 2019.

"The majority of cases in the United States have been among people who are not vaccinated against measles," the CDC said.

Given the current outbreak in Columbus, authorities are urging parents to ensure their children are vaccinated.

"Measles is both highly contagious and preventable," Franklin County Health Commissioner Joe Mazzola said in the statement. "It can be a severe illness, so we strongly encourage anyone who has not been vaccinated to get vaccinated to prevent further spread."

Those with questions can contact Columbus Public Health at 614-645-1519 or Franklin County Public Health at 614-525-3791. People with symptoms of measles should contact their healthcare provider before going to clinics or hospitals to avoid potential exposures.

The four new cases at the facility brings Franklin County's measles case count to eight since June. The CDC has recorded 33 cases from five jurisdictions as of Oct. 28.