Measles in Ohio: at the center of a major outbreak

VScentral Ohio is the epicenter of a major measles outbreak in the United Statesaccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to data from CDC and Columbus Public Health.

The cases were entirely in children under the age of 18, and the majority occurred in children between the ages of 1 and 5. The cases were highly distributed among the unvaccinated. Ninety percent of those infected had not received any dose of measles vaccine. Four cases involved people who declared only one dose and four were of unknown vaccination status.

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Paul Vernon/AP

“It’s very frustrating to know that this can be prevented with a vaccine – a vaccine that is safe, effective and accessible,” said Columbus Public Health Commissioner Mysheika Roberts. Told Axios.

Among those infected, 32 had to be hospitalized. No deaths have been reported so far.

The Franklin outbreak is particularly notable because prior to the outbreak there had not been a single case of measles in nearly 20 years. The first cases were recorded in October and the numbers soared in November. The epidemic shows no signs of abating.

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Measles is characterized by high fever, rash, runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes and tiny white spots in the mouth, according to the CDC. It can be fatal for young children and babies.