94 percent of children in Ohio measles outbreak were unvaccinated: CDC

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that more than 90 percent of the children infected in last year’s measles outbreak in Ohio were unvaccinated. 

The report published Friday looked at the 85 total confirmed cases, all among children located in central Ohio, and found 94 percent of them did not receive the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Additionally, 80 out of the 85 cases were in children under the age of 5, according to Columbus Public Health.

The CDC reported the average age of reported cases was 1 year, the age in which children become eligible for the MMR vaccine. The CDC found 71 percent of patients were either 1 year old or older, though only 5 percent, or three patients, documented their first dose of the MMR vaccine. 

The measles outbreak in Ohio was officially confirmed Nov. 9, 2022, and was declared over Feb. 4 — 42 days after the last reported case. No deaths were reported, though 36 patients were hospitalized, primarily for dehydration, according to the CDC. 

“This outbreak serves as a reminder that health care facilities, medical providers, and child care facilities serving undervaccinated populations should maintain vigilance for measles and emphasize the importance of timely MMR vaccination,” the CDC wrote. 

The report follows data from Columbus Public Health released earlier this year, which showed the majority of children infected in last year’s outbreak were unvaccinated.