Kentucky health officials announced that four new cases of measles have been reported in the Commonwealth this week.
Three cases are part of the same household in Woodford County, while the fourth case, involving someone known to have been exposed to measles while traveling internationally, is in Todd County and unrelated to the other three cases.
Health officials are working to identify others who may have been exposed to those infected while they were contagious. None of the four were vaccinated against measles.
This marks six total measles cases reported in Kentucky this year.
These cases occur amid the largest measles outbreak in the United States since it was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported more than 1,200 cases this year, including several large outbreaks in other states.
“Measles is a serious disease,” said Kentucky Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack. “Fortunately, people can avoid measles through safe and effective vaccinations. We urge all parents to have their children vaccinated to ensure they are protected from preventable diseases like measles.”
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can cause serious health complications, especially in young children. Measles is spread through the air and can remain suspended in the air for up to two hours. Early symptoms of measles begin 8-12 days after exposure and include high fever, cough, runny nose and red/watery eyes. The characteristic measles rash typically appears three to five days after symptoms begin, usually on the face before spreading down to the rest of the body.
The first dose of measles vaccine is routinely administered in combination with mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) to children at age 12 months through 15 months, and a second dose at age 4 through 6. Two doses of MMR vaccine is 97% effective against measles according to the CDC.
The CDC recently issued a travel advisory to urge all people traveling outside of the United States to receive two doses of MMR vaccine if they have never had measles.
Recently, immunization rates among Kentucky’s kindergartners have declined. Results from the most recent school immunizations survey, for the 2024-2025 school year, indicate that only 86.9% of Kentucky kindergarteners are fully vaccinated against measles, which is lower than the national average of 93%.
Kentucky’s first confirmed measles case of 2025 occurred in an adult resident in February. The second case occurred in March in a child who was traveling through the Commonwealth when they sought treatment.
For more information about measles, visit the Kentucky Department for Public Health measles website or the CDC measles website.
