Measles in Indiana: What to know

By: Ashley Bergeron

Staff-Writer

On April 7, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) reported a case of measles in Lake County, the first case since early 2024. Measles is highly contagious, so just three cases are considered an outbreak. When an infected person sneezes or coughs, the droplets are sprayed into the air and can stay there for up to two hours. 

As of April 24, there are eight cases in Allen County, where Fort Wayne is located. 

Measles is not just a rash. At first, it may present as a high fever and allergy-like symptoms, then rashes in the mouth and on the skin. Measles can be very serious, resulting in complications like pneumonia, brain swelling, blindness and hearing loss. Unvaccinated people, young children, adults over 20, pregnant women and immunocompromised people are more likely to have complications if they contract measles. 

The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to get vaccinated. The CDC recommends that people get two doses of the vaccine. Children can get the MMRV vaccine instead of the MMR vaccine. MMR protects against measles, mumps and rubella, while MMRV protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. According to the CDC, schools with an MMR vaccination rate of 90% or less are much more susceptible to outbreaks. 

On April 30 from 3-6 p.m., the St. Joseph County Department of Health will provide MMR vaccines for children ages 1-18 at the St. Joseph County Public Library.

MMRV is only available for children 12 months through 12 years old.  Once someone gets vaccinated, they are protected for life, but their immunity against mumps decreases over time. Even if you only got one shot, you’re still protected from measles; the second dose improves your immunity against mumps. You may also want to receive another dose of the vaccine before traveling internationally. 

If you’re unvaccinated and have been exposed to measles, contact your doctor to see what action you should take next.