ATLANTA - Another three cases of measles have been confirmed in Georgia, bringing the total number of cases in 2025 to 10, according to the state health officials.
What we know:
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, the new cases stem from another case confirmed on Sept. 11.
Two of the individuals are unvaccinated and the vaccination status of the third is unknown.
All three are isolating at home.
So far, 268 people identified as close contacts of confirmed cases; seven are in active monitoring.
Health officials are urging providers to be alert for patients who may have measles.
What is measles and how it spreads
Dig deeper:
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that typically starts with fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes before a red blotchy rash appears.
The virus is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs.
It can also linger in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours after the infected person has left the area.
Preventing measles
What you can do:
Vaccination with the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) is the best protection against measles.
Two doses are about 97 percent effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One dose also offers strong protection (over 90 percent) but is less complete than the two-dose schedule.
The CDC recommends children receive the first MMR vaccine dose between 12 and 15 months and a second dose between 4 and 6 years.
This vaccination guidance could change soon.
The Source: The Georgia Department of Public Health provided the details for this article. Additional information was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting.