First measles outbreak in Michigan since 2019

Michigan health officials have confirmed the first measles outbreak in the state since 2019. The outbreak is in Montcalm County, northeast of Grand Rapids. The county has a total of three cases, which brings the state’s total to seven. According to the Michigan Department of Health Services, the infections in Montcalm are linked to the measles outbreak in Ontario and have no association with the other cases in the state. The identities of the infected persons and their vaccination status have not been made public. However, state health statistics report that nearly a quarter of the county residents have not received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive, urged all the state residents to check their vaccination records and ensure that they have received the MMR vaccine.
On March 14, Michigan announced its first measles infection of the year – an adult recently returned from overseas travel. The outbreak in Montcalm County comes as US health authorities are battling a growing measles outbreak nationwide, with 712 confirmed cases and 3 deaths as of April 10. 97% of infected persons were either unvaccinated or with an unknown vaccination status. In 2024, there were just 285 measles cases throughout the United States. According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 2019 saw more cases than this year, with over 1200 infections nationwide.