Ohio Measles Outbreak Grows Again: 22 New Cases in a Week, Up 400% From 2025
Columbus is a city in Franklin County, Ohio. Ohio's measles outbreak is still growing. The Columbus Dispatch reported on October 8 that the Ohio Department of Health recorded 22 new cases in the past week — a 120% increase from the 10 new cases reported the week before — and that the virus has spread to another county. The state is now in its third measles outbreak of 2026, with total cases running about 400% above 2025 levels. Measles is among the most contagious diseases known, spreading through the air and capable of infecting more than a dozen unprotected people from a single case. Health officials link the spread to pockets of low vaccination coverage: communities where two-dose MMR vaccination falls below 95% are vulnerable to sustained local transmission once the virus is introduced. State and county health departments are tracing contacts and urging parents to check children's immunization records.
Ohio's experience mirrors a multi-state resurgence. Neighboring Pennsylvania reported 74 new cases this week, bringing its 2026 total to 1,078 cases with at least 207 hospitalizations and five deaths. Ohio officials advise anyone with fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and rash to call ahead before visiting a clinic, to avoid exposing others in waiting rooms.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 美国疾控中心（CDC）公共领域图片（Wikimedia Commons）：麻疹患儿皮疹，1963年资料照片
