And the first measles case of 2018 is in…
- Bloomington, Indiana
A student at Indiana University in Bloomington was diagnosed with measles on January 6.
The student may have exposed others between the time they arrived on campus on January 2, moved into her dorm (McNutt Residence Hall), and got diagnosed on January 6.
Fortunately, classes haven’t started yet, so exposure to others might have been lower than they typically might have been.
She likely did expose others on January 2:
- on a flight from Mumbai, India to Newark Liberty International Airport
- during a layover in Newark Liberty International Airport
- on a flight from Newark to Indianapolis International Airport
- at Indianapolis International Airport
Because measles has a long incubation period, remember that it might not be until January 23 that you develop symptoms if you were exposed are not immune (two doses of vaccine or natural immunity).
Indiana Measles Outbreaks
Surprisingly, this is not the first case of measles at this campus in recent years. Just four years ago, another student at Indiana University Bloomington was diagnosed with measles.
Or maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising.
There has been a lot of measles in Indiana in recent years:
- an outbreak caused by an unvaccinated traveler who got 13 other people sick in 2011
- another outbreak in 2012, also triggered by an unvaccinated traveler, also got 13 other people sick
In fact, since 2010, there have been at least 34 cases of measles in Indiana, including the latest case at IU Bloomington. Almost all have been unvaccinated.
And that’s with a pretty good vaccination rate.
Why?
Pockets of susceptibles, or so-called clusters of unvaccinated people, who get measles and then put the rest of us at risk.
Get educated.
Stop the outbreaks.
Vaccines work. Vaccines are safe and vaccines are necessary.
What to Know About Measles in Indiana
Indiana has been one of the states where we have seen measles outbreaks linked to clusters of unvaccinated people and is home to the first measles case of 2018.
More on Measles in Indiana
- IU Bloomington confirms case of measles on campus
- Ind. Measles Outbreak, Linked to Super Bowl, Raises Vaccination Concerns
- CDC – Notes from the Field: Measles Outbreak — Indiana, June–July 2011
- Indiana Infectious Diseases Reports
- CDC – Import-Associated Measles Outbreak — Indiana, May–June 2005
- CDC – Measles Outbreaks on University Campuses–Indiana, Ohio, Texas
Updated January 13, 2018