A measles outbreak in Virginia’s Piedmont Health District continues to grow, reaching 55 cases as of Tuesday afternoon. Statewide, Virginia has reported 77 measles cases this year.
The surge of cases in Buckingham County, which started in April, meets the definition of an outbreak. Because none of the patients reported recent travel, health officials believe the virus is spreading locally.
In the neighboring health district, the Central Health District, about six cases have been confirmed, according to the state Health Department measles dashboard, which was launched in May.
Cases in the Piedmont Health District region now account for 71% of all measles cases reported in Virginia this year.
In May, the Virginia Department of Health reported 12 confirmed cases in Buckingham County and warned that additional cases had likely gone undetected.
A newly confirmed case in Richmond has also been linked to the Buckingham County outbreak, according to the Health Department.
Measles is among the most contagious viruses in the world, according to the Cleveland Clinic. A single infected person can spread the virus to up to 90% of susceptible contacts, making outbreaks difficult to contain in communities with low vaccination rates.
Vaccine hesitancy has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising anti-vaccination rhetoric has also increased in recent years, leading to lower vaccination rates for the measles, mumps and rubella immunizations.
About 86% of Buckingham County residents are vaccinated against measles, compared to a statewide vaccination rate of 95.6%, according to data on the Health Department website. Public health experts say vaccination rates generally need to reach about 95% to prevent outbreaks.
No Virginia patients have died from measles this year, but about 9% have been hospitalized.
Kids aged 5 to 12 years old make up the largest share of cases, with 25 infections in that age group.
Before a vaccine became widely available in 1963, measles was considered a routine childhood illness, according to Cleveland Clinic. People born before 1957 are generally presumed immune because they were likely exposed to the virus before vaccination became common.
As a result, health experts generally do not recommend routine measles immunity screening for older adults living in areas without active outbreaks.
People who were vaccinated between 1963 and 1967 may have received inactivated measles vaccines. The state Health Department recommends people in this age group talk to their doctor about getting revaccinated with the current, live measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
The Health Department also recommends that Virginians request vaccination records through the VDH Record Request Portal if they’re unsure whether they have received the measles vaccines.
