First case of measles confirmed in Ohio since 2019

For the first time since 2019, a case of measles has been confirmed in Ohio.

From what we know, a child from Franklin County was diagnosed with the disease after they traveled out of the country to an area where measles is easy to catch.

News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott spoke with Dr. Roberto Colon, Chief Medical Officer at Miami Valley Hospital, and he said this disease is extremely contagious.

Colon explained it’s upsetting to him because they offer vaccines in there that have wiped out these diseases, but he’s seeing more and more parents not vaccinate their children.

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We also reached out to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) about why we are seeing it now after three years.

According to a UNICEF official, a country needs to achieve and sustain at least 95 percent immunization coverage of two doses of measles vaccine to have herd immunity.

“The issues that we’ve had around childhood vaccinations actually predates where we were dealing with in relation to COVID,” Colon told us. “We have great preventative strategies with the use of vaccines that have been very safe and effective. So it is a bit frustrating.”

The side effects of measles are not something to take lightly.

Those who get the disease could develop Pneumonia, ear and eye complications, swelling of the brain, permanent disability, and even death.

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