As measles cases continue to spread in the US, Ingham County has confirmed its first case. This is the first case in the County since 1994 and the fifth case in Michigan in 2025.
The little girl had one dose of a measles, mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine the day before she traveled through a Michigan airportDr. Nike Shoyinka, the county’s medical health officer, during an afternoon news conference April 15, reports have said. As per the doctor, the girl was travelling out with her family and there was no time for the vaccine to fully prepare her immune system against the infection.
“Usually, what we expect is that our body’s immune system … would have developed full immunity at about a two-week mark. Even though this child was vaccinated, she was still relatively susceptible given the short period of time. However, I will say that this child’s symptoms were very mild … presumably because she had received at least one dose,” the doctor told the media in the press conference.
Measles cases continue to surge in the US
More than 700 measles cases have been reported across the U.S. so far in 2025, making it the second-worst year in decades. Over 560 of those cases have been recorded in Texas alone.
However, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official said on Tuesday that a large number of cases are being missed. “We do believe that there’s quite a large amount of cases that are not reported and underreported,” Dr. David Sugerman, senior scientist for the CDC’s measles response this year told CBS News.
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection marked by a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. One of the earliest signs is tiny white spots (Koplik spots) inside the mouth. Within a few days, a red rash appears, typically starting on the face and spreading downward to the rest of the body. The rash usually lasts 5–6 days and may be accompanied by fatigue, body aches, and light sensitivity. Measles symptoms generally appear 10–14 days after exposure. It’s important to isolate affected individuals and seek medical care, especially for infants, pregnant women, or people with weak immunity.
Measles can be fatal, especially in young children, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems. Although the majority of individuals recover with supportive treatment, the virus can cause serious complications like pneumonia, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and death. In other instances, it may also result in long-term health complications, such as hearing loss. Complications of measles are more likely to occur in malnourished individuals or those who have not been vaccinated. Vaccination is still the best method of prevention of the disease and its possible life-threatening outcomes, lowering individual and community risk.
Vaccination is essential in the prevention of measles, which is a highly infectious viral infection that can result in severe complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death, particularly in young children. The measles vaccine is administered usually as part of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) combination vaccine. It is extremely effective—two doses offer around 97% protection against the virus. The first dose would normally be at 9 to 12 months and the second dose at 15 to 18 months or on school entry, depending on the immunization schedule of the country.
Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, measles outbreaks still occur, mainly in areas with low vaccination coverage. Factors like vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and lack of access to healthcare contribute to these gaps. When a community has high vaccination rates, herd immunity protects even those who can’t be vaccinated, such as infants or immunocompromised individuals.
