Four unvaccinated Kentuckians have contracted the highly contagious measles, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) announced Friday.
Three of the four cases were from the same household in Woodford County and the fourth, unrelated to the others, is in a Todd County person who was exposed while traveling internationally, the cabinet said.
Kentucky has now reported six cases this year amid a decline in routine preventative vaccinations. None of the four had been vaccinated against measles, the cabinet said.
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.
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.
“Measles is a serious disease,” Dr. Steven Stack, the public health commissioner and newly-appointed cabinet secretary, said in a statement. “Fortunately, people can avoid measles through safe and effective vaccinations. We urge all parents to have their children vaccinated to ensure they are protected from preventable diseases like measles.”
