The Ohio Department of Health has confirmed the state’s first measles outbreak of 2026, involving three unvaccinated children from the same household in Cuyahoga County.

Health officials say the cases are travel-related, with exposure occurring in another part of the United States where measles is already spreading. One child became sick near the end of 2025, while the other two developed symptoms earlier this year.

ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff urged families to make sure vaccinations are up to date, calling measles “serious but preventable.” The state is working with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health to identify possible exposures and offer vaccination opportunities.

Measles spreads easily through coughing and sneezing and can linger in the air for up to two hours. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, and a rash that begins on the face and moves down the body. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing infection.

Ohio reported 45 measles cases in 2025, following outbreaks in recent years. Health officials say vaccination remains the best defense against future spread.