Michigan's first measles case in more than four years reported in Oakland County child

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Michigan health officials have confirmed the first case of measles in four years was detected in the state after a child in Oakland County tested positive for the illness.

The case was associated with international travel, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Friday.

MDHHS is working with Oakland County to determine what sort of threat is present in the county. Currently, the office doesn't believe any additional exposure outside the household has taken place.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through direct contact with an infected individual. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, white spots on the inner cheeks and inside the mouth, as well as a rash that spread from the face to the rest of the body. 

Contracting measles is preventable with a vaccine. According to MDHHS, routine immunization coverage has fallen both in Michigan and the U.S. The number of kids ages 4-6 who have received the two-dose vaccine has fallen from 89.4% to 84% in 2022.

For children ages 19 through 35 months, vaccine coverage fell from 84.7% in 2020 to 83.6% in 2023.

Getting the vaccine is imperative for children, the health department urged as one in five cases end up in the hospital. So far, 35 cases have been reported in 2024 in 15 other states.

"Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect ourselves and our loved ones from potential outbreaks of diseases like measles," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state's chief medical executive. "It is important to make sure our families are up to date on all routine vaccines to prevent the spread of severe illness and disease. Now is a great time to check with your health care provider to make sure you are current with all your vaccines."