Update: Will the Measles Outbreak Creeping Across the Midwest Be Contained?

As we reported previously, an outbreak of measles in Ohio and Minnesota has sparked concerns that other states in the region and beyond could be vulnerable to a similar uptick in cases. While that fear has proven unfounded so far, the number of cases in Ohio has continued to climb over the past couple of months. As reported by The Hill, 85 cases have been confirmed, with hospitalization needed for 34 of those patients. The presumed culprit is a gap in childhood vaccination during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, according to the piece published by The Hill, some public health experts are concerned that an overall mistrust of vaccines could be to blame, which raises concern that other vaccine-preventable infectious diseases could rally. JUCM covered this exact scenario in an article entitled Unexpected Viral Illness in an Urgent Care Setting: The Re-Emergence of Mumps, Measles, and Varicella. It’s available in our archive.