DAYTON — Doctors confirmed six new cases of measles just east of Dayton last week, prompting health departments across the Miami Valley to go on high alert. The new cases in Central Ohio follow a previous cluster of four cases reported in Northeast Ohio last month.
Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, emphasized that vaccination remains the primary defense against the disease.
The latest confirmation follows four cases of measles reported by the Ohio Department of Health in Northeast Ohio during January. Health officials noted that all four of those patients were unvaccinated against the disease. Vanderhoff expressed concern that the current trend could eventually lead to the loss of the United States’ elimination status for measles.
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Vanderhoff noted that the increase in cases is not limited to Ohio. He attributed the spread to the ease of international travel. “Across the country, we are seeing hundreds of cases of measles, and that is something that I think many of us would have thought unthinkable at one time, but it is the reality,” Vanderhoff said. “If you look at the issue, it is a combination of the fact that we now live in a highly mobile global environment, which means that a case of measles in one part of the world is just an airplane flight away from coming into our part of the world.”
The Ohio Department of Health continues to recommend the measles vaccine as the most effective way to combat the spread. Vanderhoff stated that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends the current vaccination schedule. “It actually is good at not only keeping you from getting sick, but from ever getting measles,” Vanderhoff said. “It’s very safe. We have a long track record with this, as well as with the longer list of routine pediatric vaccinations.”
In addition to vaccination, Vanderhoff suggested that residents follow basic hygiene practices similar to those used to prevent the flu, such as washing hands regularly. He noted that while signs of the disease do not appear immediately, certain symptoms require medical consultation. “If you get a severe headache and see red blotchy skin, stay home and consult your doctor,” Vanderhoff said.
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