OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — The Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) is recommending that residents take precautions against measles after dozens of cases in the United States this year.
OCDPH is recommending that people who are planning on traveling this spring and summer to think about taking precautions against measles.
The county health department said that while there have been no cases yet in Ottawa County, there have been three confirmed cases in Michigan and another 55 in the U.S., including 17 in Chicago.
Measle cases in the United States in 2023 totaled 58, which is the number of confirmed cases in 2024 as of March 14.
OCDPH recommends that you get a measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine if you don't have an immunity already.
The health department said that you are considered immune to measles if:
- You are a child (K-12) or adult who has received two doses of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.
- You are a preschool-aged child who has received one dose of the MMR vaccine.
- You have had measles at some point in your life.
- You were born before 1957.
Measles is very contagious and can be a very serious disease for some. The CDC states that children are most at risk for complications with:
- One in five children who contract measles will be hospitalized.
- One in 20 children who contract measles will develop pneumonia.
- One to three children out of every 1,000 who contract measles will die.
OCDPH said that the MMR vaccine is safe and effective, with a 97% efficacy rate of preventing measles with two doses; 93% effective for one dose.
Vaccines are available through your local healthcare providers or pharmacies and vaccination is available for children and adults who don't have health insurance via OCDPH. Call (616) 396-5266 to see if you are eligable.
Get the latest vaccine ingredient and safety information from the CDC at cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/mmr-vaccine.html or the Vaccine Education Center at chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center.
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