Kentucky measles cases climb to 24 as health officials urge vaccination

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Kentucky’s measles outbreak continues to grow, with 24 cases now reported across seven counties, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

Twenty of the 24 cases were identified in recent days, state health officials said.

Christian County has the most cases with 10, followed by Washington County with five and Jessamine County with four. Trigg County has two cases, while Caldwell, Owen and Todd counties each have one.

Two people have been hospitalized. There have been no deaths.

All 24 people diagnosed with measles in Kentucky this year were not vaccinated against the virus, according to state health officials.

Dr. Kris Bryant, a pediatric infectious diseases physician with Norton Children’s, said measles is one of the most contagious viruses known.

“If you take 10 people who don’t have any immunity to measles, and you put them in a room with somebody who’s infectious, nine of them are going to get infected,” Bryant said.

Bryant said people do not necessarily have to be in the same room with someone who has measles to become infected.

The virus can remain suspended in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

Early symptoms of measles can include a high fever, runny nose, cough, congestion and red or watery eyes. A distinctive red rash typically starts on the head and spreads down the body.

Bryant said measles can be particularly serious for young children, especially those younger than 5.

About one in 20 unimmunized people who develop measles will need to be hospitalized, she said. Some children can also develop pneumonia.

About one in 1,000 children with measles will develop encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, Bryant said. The condition can lead to deafness or learning disabilities and may have lifelong consequences.

Bryant said measles can also suppress the immune system for months after someone recovers, potentially making them more susceptible to other viruses and bacteria.

Kentucky’s kindergarten measles vaccination rate is currently 90.7%, according to state health officials. That is below the roughly 95% vaccination rate needed to effectively prevent measles from spreading throughout a community, Bryant said.

“If we have high rates of immunization across the community, that can keep measles from spreading,” Bryant said.

Bryant said the statewide vaccination rate is an average and that some schools and communities may have lower rates, which could allow measles to spread more easily.

The latest Kentucky school immunization survey for the 2025-26 school year found that 90.7% of Kentucky kindergarteners were fully vaccinated against measles, compared with a national average of 92%.

State health officials said two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine are about 97% effective against measles.

Bryant said parents who are unsure whether their child is fully vaccinated should contact their pediatrician or primary care provider and check their child’s vaccination status.

“Again, vaccination works,” Bryant said. “The very best way to protect them from measles is to get them vaccinated.”

People who believe they have been exposed to measles should contact a doctor or primary care provider to determine whether they are immune and whether additional steps are needed.

Some people who are not immune may need additional protection after exposure, including certain young children who may be eligible for measles immune globulin.

Bryant said anyone who develops symptoms after a known or suspected exposure should call ahead before going to a doctor’s office or emergency room.

“We don’t want people with measles to be sitting in the waiting room because they could expose other people,” Bryant said. “If you’re sick and you know you’ve been exposed or you’re sick and you think your symptoms are measles, call ahead.”

Kentucky health officials continue to update the state’s measles case counts each weekday as additional cases and exposures are investigated.

For more information about measles in Kentucky, visit the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s measles information page.