By 1808Delaware
Public health officials are continuing to track a small but concerning measles outbreak in central Ohio, centered in Franklin County and the New Albany-Columbus area. As of mid-October, five cases have been confirmed — all linked to international travel and low vaccination rates.
Franklin County’s Latest Case
Franklin County Public Health and Columbus Public Health confirmed that the fifth case involves an unvaccinated six-year-old child who recently traveled overseas. This case is not connected to the earlier cluster of four infections, which occurred within a single family that had also traveled abroad.
The earlier infections led to temporary closures at the New Albany Early Learning Center after one infected person attended classes there. Fully vaccinated students were allowed to return sooner, while about 122 people were placed under quarantine. One child developed pneumonia as a complication of measles and was hospitalized but has since stabilized.
Health officials say there is currently no evidence of community spread beyond the five known cases. The quarantines were expected to end around October 17.
Ohio and National Trends
Ohio has recorded 42 confirmed measles cases so far in 2025, spread across eight counties: Ashtabula, Knox, Franklin, Allen, Cuyahoga, Defiance, Holmes, and Muskingum.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 1,596 confirmed cases across 42 states — the highest number in the United States since the early 1990s. Roughly 86 percent of these are connected to defined outbreaks, primarily among unvaccinated populations.
Vaccination Remains Key
Local and state health officials continue to stress vaccination as the most effective prevention tool. Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health jointly hosted free MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine clinics earlier this month, including one at the New Albany Early Learning Center Gymnasium.
Dr. Mysheika Roberts, Columbus Health Commissioner, noted that central Ohio’s MMR vaccination rate remains below the 93 percent herd immunity threshold. “We have to close that gap,” she said, “because measles spreads faster than almost any other virus we deal with.”
No general public health emergency has been declared in Franklin County, but surveillance continues as the national outbreak grows.
Delaware County Monitoring, No Local Cases
As of October 19, 2025, the Delaware Public Health District (DPHD) has not reported any confirmed measles cases connected to the Franklin County outbreak.
The DPHD’s health alerts emphasize routine immunization and encourage parents to verify that children are up-to-date on MMR vaccinations before attending school. The district offers MMR vaccines through its Immunization Clinic by appointment.
DPHD is coordinating closely with the Ohio Department of Health and Columbus Public Health but has identified no local transmission or high-risk exposure sites within Delaware County. Officials continue to remind residents that two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97 percent effective in preventing infection.
Residents unsure of their vaccination status can contact the Delaware Public Health District Immunization Clinic to review records or schedule a vaccine.
