Child traveling through KY in March had measles but no one else was exposed, says state

A child traveling through Kentucky was diagnosed with measles in March, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) announced Thursday. 

The child isn’t a United States resident, CHFS said. The child was diagnosed while being treated at a “health care facility in Kentucky,” the cabinet said. 

A cabinet spokeswoman said Friday that the child was “unvaccinated, school aged and is no longer in KY.”

The case did not result in exposures for others, the cabinet said, because “the health care facility adhered to strict safety protocols.” 

This is the second confirmed case of measles in Kentucky this year. The first was reported in February in a Kentuckian who attended Frankfort Planet Fitness. 

Kentuckian has confirmed case of measles

Meanwhile, CHFS reports that amid “the largest outbreak of measles in the United States since measles was declared eliminated in the country in 2000,” not enough Kentucky school children are getting immunizations. 

“Coverage among kindergartners for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is effective at preventing diseases, including measles, and is legally required for school attendance in Kentucky, has dropped to 86.9%, which is lower than the national average of 93%,” CHFS said. This is a decline from 90% in the 2023-2024 school year. 

Measles is extremely contagious and is spread through the air from coughs or sneezes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One infected person can infect nine in 10 unprotected people around them, the CDC says. 

Measles symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash. The CDC recommends the measles vaccination series at 12-15 months and then at 4-6 years old. 

“These are concerning trends that we are seeing,” Dr. Steven Stack, the state’s public health commissioner, said in a statement. “It is really important that folks are properly informed about vaccines so they can take safe steps to protect their children. Vaccines are safe and effective. We urge all parents to have their children vaccinated to ensure they are protected from preventable diseases like measles.”