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Kentucky health officials say immunizations are needed to prevent the spread of measles after four new cases were reported in the commonwealth.
Three cases are contained to one household in Woodford County, while the other was diagnosed in someone from Todd County who had been traveling internationally, according to a June 27 press release from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. None of the four had received the measles vaccines, the release stated.
The new cases bring the state’s total to seven measles cases reported in Kentucky in 2025, including cases in Fayette and Franklin counties.
Currently, the U.S. is experiencing the largest measles outbreak in 25 years, since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented more than 1,200 cases this year, though officials recently said the outbreak may be hitting a plateau.
The new measles cases occurred just a few weeks after the Cabinet for Health and Family Services announced two unvaccinated infants had died of whooping cough in the last six months, marking the first deaths from the illness since 2018.
The vaccine against whooping cough is 98% effective through the first year, and the vaccine course against measles is 97% effective, health officials state.
“Measles is a serious disease,” Kentucky Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said. “Fortunately, people can avoid measles through safe and effective vaccinations. We urge all parents to have their children vaccinated to ensure they are protected from preventable diseases like measles.”
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles is very contagious. It spreads through the air and can remain suspended in the air for up to two hours.
Symptoms appear eight to 12 days after exposure and can resemble flu symptoms: high fever, cough, runny nose and red or watery eyes. The characteristic rash unique to measles can appear on the face three to five days after symptoms start, then spread to the rest of the body.
The vaccine against measles is first given in combination with the mumps and rubella vaccine after a baby turns 1 year old. The second dose is given between the ages of four and six.
Officials from the Cabinet for Health and Safety Services reported that only 86.9% of Kentucky kindergarteners are fully vaccinated against measles, below the national average of 93%.
For more information about measles, visit the Kentucky Department for Public Health measles website or the CDC measles website.