Wisconsin health officials say travel and declining vaccination rates are helping fuel the state’s ongoing measles outbreak, which has now spread to 13 counties and resulted in the death of an infant.
Department of Health Services Immunization Program Manager Dr. Stephanie Schauer said many recent cases have been linked to people traveling outside Wisconsin and returning while infected.
“We are seeing introductions from families who are traveling out of state to funerals and weddings and they’re coming back. And so much of what you’ve been seeing with we have now 13 counties affected is due to that. There’s multiple sort of ways that measles is making its way into the state,” Schauer said.
The outbreak has sickened 431 people statewide and last week claimed the life of an infant, Wisconsin’s first measles-related death since 1990.
Health experts also point to vaccine misinformation and access challenges as factors contributing to lower immunization rates. Schauer said Wisconsin’s kindergarten vaccination rate for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is about 85%, below the level needed to prevent outbreaks.
“Parents are having questions about vaccines and there’s a lot more misinformation and disinformation out there. It’s normal to have questions, but they need to have reliable sources and the information so that they feel reassured that they can protect their child through vaccination,” Schauer said.
Schauer warned residents not to assume they are safe from exposure simply because they are not traveling to an area with known cases.
“We don’t want people to be complacent and think, well, I’m not traveling there or I’m not doing that so I won’t be exposed. Measles is a very infectious disease and you could be in the same room and just never realize it till it’s too late,” she said.
State health officials continue to encourage vaccination as the most effective way to prevent infection and limit the spread of measles in Wisconsin communities.