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Measles case reported in Vermont
The child became sick after traveling internationally.
The Vermont Department of Public Health confirmed a measles case in a child from Lamoille County on Tuesday, following the child’s return from an international trip.
The department says the child was isolated while contagious, reducing the risk to the public. It is continuing to investigate the case.
It is the first case of measles in Vermont this year, following two cases in 2024 and two cases in the decade prior, one in 2011 and one in 2018.
The positive measles test result in Vermont was confirmed Monday evening. The department did not say whether the child was vaccinated against the disease.
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The department says the child visited Copley Hospital on Sunday. During that time, Copley Hospital contacted known visitors to the Emergency Department.
The Health Department asks anyone inside the Emergency Department in Morrisville, Vermont between 3:15 and 6 p.m. on Sunday to take the following actions:
- Confirm you have evidence of immunity to measles.
- If you don’t know or can’t confirm, contact the Health Department at 802-863-7240.
- Monitor for symptoms through Sunday, March 30, and contact a health care provider if you experience them. The department advises against visiting a doctor’s office, hospital, or clinic without informing them.
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The case is unrelated to the three ongoing measles outbreaks in the United States and the current outbreak in Quebec.
The CDC reported over 200 cases of measles in the first three months of the year, which led to two recent deaths in Texas and New Mexico. In 2024 there were 285 cases in the U.S., compared to 50 cases in 2023. Cases are also rising internationally.
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Health officials attribute the rise in cases to an increase in unvaccinated people, which impacts community immunity.
The department said measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can cause serious illness, especially to children younger than 5. About one in five unvaccinated people in the U.S. who contract measles require hospitalization.
Symptoms of measles begin with a cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and a high fever that may spike to more than 104 degrees. A rash of flat spots breaks out on the head and face, then spreads to other body parts.
The virus spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. People can become infected if they breathe in the germs or touch a contaminated surface and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.
The virus can spread from four days before through four days after an infected person develops a rash.
There is no treatment for measles. However, it is almost entirely vaccine-preventable.
Because measles is so contagious, 95% of the population must be immune to limit the virus’s spread effectively.
According to 2023-2024 school immunization survey data, 93% of children in Vermont public and independent schools are fully vaccinated against measles before entering kindergarten. This data doesn’t include children who are homeschooled or not yet enrolled in school.
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CBS News found that 152 Massachusetts schools, or one in five, have measles vaccination rates below 95%. The last confirmed measles case in the state was from international travel in July 2024.
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