COLUMBUS, Ohio — A measles outbreak at a local child care facility is being investigated by Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health, according to the city's Office of Public Affairs and Communication.

What You Need To Know

  • Four cases of measles have been uncovered at a child care facility

  • The facility has shut down and is cooperating as health agencies investigate

  • Health officials remind parents to keep children's immunizations up to date

There are currently four confirmed cases and the facility has notified parents and temporarily closed down while it cooperates with the investigation.

According to the release, all four children were unvaccinated and had no travel history. The four new cases make for eight confirmed cases in Franklin County since June.

“We are working diligently with the cases to identify any potential exposures and to notify people who were exposed,” said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, the Columbus Public Health Commissioner. “The most important thing you can do to protect against measles is to get vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is safe and highly effective.”

Measles speads incredibly easy, which is why health officials stress making sure childhood immunizations are up to date, including two doses of MMR vaccine. For children who are not able to get them through a pediatrician, Columbus Public Health makes the vaccine available during regular vaccine clinic hours. Franklin County Public Health offers the vaccine by appointment only.

Symptoms tend to show up 8-12 days after exposure and can include high fever, runny nose, coughing or irritated eyes before it eventually develops into a rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body.

The health agencies suggest if you have symptoms of measles, contact a doctor or clinic and let them know about symptoms and potential exposure before going in.

“Measles is both highly contagious and preventable,” said Joe Mazzola, Franklin County Health Commissioner. “It can be a severe illness, so we strongly encourage anyone who has not been vaccinated to get vaccinated to prevent further spread.”

For more information about measles or the MMR vaccine, click here.