As per the ODH, an adult residing in Ashtabula County has been confirmed to have contracted measles. This marks the first instance of measles in Ohio for the year 2025, occurring alongside existing outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is reporting the state’s first measles case of 2025.
Stated by the ODH, the infected individual from Ashtabula County had not received vaccination and had been in contact with a person who had recently traveled overseas.
ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff stressed the significance of complete vaccination following the measles case in Ohio. Dr. Vanderhoff emphasized the severity of the disease and highlighted its preventable nature. He urged the public to safeguard themselves and their children by ensuring they are vaccinated.
State health officials say they are now working with the Ashtabula County Health Department “to follow up on potential exposures and to promote opportunities for vaccination.”
“Measles is extremely contagious and can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. It can be brought back to the United States, and Ohio, by individuals who travel. If people are not protected against the disease, 9 out of 10 people who are exposed will become ill,” the ODH explained in a release.
The first case of measles in Ohio in 2025 comes amid ongoing outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. By comparison, there were a total of seven cases last year, one in 2023, and 90 cases in 2022 spurred by an outbreak in Central Ohio.
During a briefing earlier this week, ODH officials announced that the state’s school vaccination rates have fallen to 85.4% for the 2024-25 school year, down from 86.2% last year and well below the national average of 92.7%.
Medical professionals emphasize that the two-dose regimen of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) — administered between 12-15 months and again between ages 4 and 6 — is 97% effective against measles.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. The MMR vaccine can also be given to adults born after 1957 who are not vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
3News Senior Health Correspondent Monica Robins contributed to this report
