Measles has officially been detected in Wisconsin while nine cases were reported in Oconto County.
Officials recommend everyone get protection from the highly contagious virus with a vaccine as it causes outbreaks around the country.
What was once considered eradicated in 2000, measles is back and is different from COVID-19 and other seasonal infections. Over 1,300 cases of the disease have been detected in at least 40 states since January. It can cause complications including hearing loss, pneumonia, and trouble breathing. One in 10 people have been hospitalized and three people died from the virus — two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico.
Here’s where vaccination rates stand in Brown County and what you need to watch for as measles makes its way to northeastern Wisconsin.
How many people are vaccinated against measles in Brown County?
In 2024, about 88% of 2-year-olds in Brown County got one or more doses of the MMR vaccine, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. That’s about the statewide rate of 81% in 2024.
While the percentage of kids who got an MMR vaccine has been on a general decline in Wisconsin overall since 2013, Brown County’s rate have been rising since 2021. Though, the county has not reached a 90% vaccination rate against the disease since 2017, state DHS data shows.
The vaccine threshold for most diseases is 90% to prevent an outbreak of illness but it’s 95% for the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine because measles is “extraordinarily transmissible,” said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, DHS chief medical officer.
“If vaccination coverage is at 95%, it makes the likelihood that any single introduction of a new measles case very unlikely for that spark to create a fire that will spread in the community,” Westergaard said.
As Wisconsin detects its first official measles cases, it still faces one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. About 84% of kindergartners in the state were up-to-date on the measles vaccine in the last school year, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only Idaho at 78% and Alaska at 81% are at lower rates than Wisconsin. About 92.5% of kindergartners in the nation were vaccinated against measles.
Most Green Bay-area school districts kindergartners fared better, according to newly released DHS data for the last school year. According to DHS, the following kindergartners in area school districts met the minimum MMR vaccine requirement in the 2024-25 school year:
Brown County health department, pediatricians prepare for measles spread
Since DHS announced nine cases were detected in neighboring Oconto County, the state health agency has said the risk of ongoing spread in the community to be low because the residents with measles were not in areas to expose others. But everyone should still be vigilant, especially as school resumes.
Brown County Public Health has been preparing for over a year for measles to reach Wisconsin and is working with DHS to maintain its supply of vaccines.
“Everybody should be concerned,” said Katrina Nordyke, Brown County deputy health officer. “Measles is highly, highly contagious and it can cause complications, and our vaccination rates could be much better.”
Two doses of the MMR vaccine is 97% effective in protecting against measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We have lots of great data to show that it is safe and effective at preventing illness to the point where it was no longer an issue in our country,” said Dr. Donald Beno, a pediatrician at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay.
What are the signs of measles?
Symptoms of measles appear one to two weeks after exposure to the virus. The first symptoms usually include a fever, dry cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. A couple days later, people may see small, white spots in their mouth and a rash that starts on the face and neck and moves down the rest of the body.
A person with measles can spread the virus four days before the rash appears and four days after, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you think you are infected, you should call your primary doctor or pediatrician first before going in-person to make sure protective measures are in place to limit spread.
Do adults need a measles booster?
While kids get their first dose of an MMR vaccine between 12 and 15 months old, the CDC recommends some adults check their immunity for the disease and ask their doctor if they need a booster. You may need one if you work in health care, received an inactive measles vaccine in the 1960s, traveled internationally, or don’t know your vaccination status.
Where can I get vaccinated in Green Bay?
Check your vaccination records
Wisconsin provides an online immune registry to track vaccination records for all residents. Access the database through dhs.wisconsin.gov. You need to name, date of birth, and social security or Medicaid ID number to find your records.
Nadia Scharf contributed to this article.
Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Measles cases have reached northeastern Wisconsin; is Brown County’s vaccine rate enough to fight a spread?
Reporting by Benita Mathew, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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