Measles confirmed in 1-year-old Michigan girl - View potential exposure locations here
The vaccination debate over measles
As cases of measles continue to rise across the US, public health officials want people to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the highly contagious viral infection. But in a recent interview with FOX News, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says health officials in Texas, the location of a measles outbreak, are seeing very good results with patients who are using treatments like cod liver oil for those who have been infected.
(FOX 2) - A 1-year-old baby girl is the latest measles case confirmed in Michigan after the Ingham County Health Department reported their first instance of the virus in more than 30 years.
It's also the latest in a growing outbreak of cases around the U.S. - worrying health officials amid falling rates of vaccination.
What we know:
The mid-Michigan county confirmed the measles case in a 1-year-old female who had recently traveled out of the state.
The health department is now investigating several potential sites where individuals could have been exposed. They include local businesses, farmers markets, grocery stores, and churches.
Measles cases have also been reported in Oakland, Macomb, Kent, and Montcalm counties.
The risk of measles is higher this year, with several hundred more cases reported in 2025 compared to 2024.
What we don't know:
It's unclear how many people were exposed to the 1-year-old after contracting the illness.
Measles is highly contagious and the vast majority of those who have not been vaccinated against the illness will become sick if they become infected.
The Ingham County Health Department did not specify where the baby was coming from after contracting the disease.
Dig deeper:
Potential exposure sites fall across a five-day span. They include:
April 4th
- Tractor Supply (W Grand River Ave, Lansing)-: 6:00pm – 8:30pm
April 5th
- Okemos Farmer’s Market in Meridian Mall: 1:30pm – 4:30pm
- Aldis, Okemos: 2:30pm – 6:00pm
April 6th
- Towar Hart Baptist Church, East Lansing: 10:30am – 2:00pm (Went to infant room during service)
- Toscana Restaurant, Lansing: 5:30pm – 9:00pm
April 8th
- MSU Community Music School: 5:30pm – 7:35pm (bathroom)
- University of Michigan Health- Sparrow Lansing ED: 6:00pm – 10:30pm
The backstory:
Measles cases have also been confirmed in a Macomb County resident who returned from Ontario, Canada earlier in April as well as in Kent County after someone traveled through Detroit Metro Airport.
The first case was confirmed in Oakland County in mid-March.
The largest outbreak reported in the U.S. was in Texas where two kids have died from complications following contracting the virus.
In response to the growing number of cases - which has reached more than 700 in 2025, according to the CDC - health Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. threw his support behind the MMR vaccine.
What you can do:
The Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best way to protect oneself from the illness.
Not only is it safe, but health officials say the two-dose series provides 97% protection from the illness. Lacking immunity, 90% of people can expect to become ill after being exposed to the virus.
The Source: Ingham County Health Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and previous reporting