Ohio’s measles outbreak has spread to four more counties, state health officials reported this week. The Ohio Department of Health’s Oct. 1 update shows 206 cases in 20 counties so far in 2026, with Ashland, Stark, Vinton and Wood counties each reporting their first case.
The state logged 10 new cases in the past week, a 37.5% decrease from 16 the week before, in what is Ohio’s third measles outbreak this year. Case counts have climbed steadily since August, when the state reported 99 cases in 12 counties. The vast majority of Ohio cases are among unvaccinated people, ODH says.
“It’s unfortunate that these outbreaks have become more common in Ohio over the past few years, because this disease is preventable,” ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said in July. “I strongly encourage you to protect yourselves and your children by getting vaccinated.”
Nationwide, measles has reached a 35-year high. Johns Hopkins University data released Sept. 25 show 3,782 U.S. cases so far this year, surpassing the 2,286 recorded in all of 2025 — the highest annual total since 1991.
