A national surge in measles infections has the attention of Nebraska health care officials.
On Monday, Dr. Renuga Vivekanandan, Chief Medical Officer at CHI Health, answered questions and prevention measures during a media zoom conference. She said 2024 saw about 285 measles cases nationwide. Only about 60-days into 2025, there have already been 164 cases.
“We still have 10 more months to go,” said Vivekanandan. “When we have these outbreaks, what is common is that vaccine rates in communities are low. When the community vaccine rates are much lower, there’s a higher risk for individuals to acquire and spread the infection — Lower vaccination rate, lower immunity, higher rate for spreading the infection.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this year’s measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island, and Texas. At the time, no measles cases have been reported in Nebraska.
The Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is recommended for children between 12 to 15 months of age, followed by a second dose between 4 to 6 years of age.
“Once you get those two doses, you have immunity for the rest of your life,” Vivekanandan said.
Symptoms will begin to develop within 7 to 14 days. Initial symptoms can be high fever, cough, running nose, red/watery eyes. Some paitents develop a rash or bumps. Mild symptoms such as ear infections or diarrhea are also possible. Measles can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5 years of age.
Measles is very contagious. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You can get measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been. This can happen even up to 2 hours after that person has left.
Vivekanandan recommends community members speak with their primary care provider for your best prevention and treatment options.
For more information, visit cdc.gov/measles.