The measles outbreak in Oakland County is over.
Officials announced Wednesday that the months-long outbreak has successfully been contained.
The outbreak started in March after an infected traveler visited Michigan. Forty-four cases of measles resulted from the exposure; 40 of the cases were in Oakland County, and patients ranged in age from eight months to 63 years old.
Other cases have been confirmed in Wayne and St. Clair Counties.
In a press release, Oakland County Health Division officer Leigh-Anne Stafford said the department is thankful for the help it received.
“The end of this outbreak is a true testament to the work of Health Division staff and our invaluable community partners. We are thankful that this outbreak has ended, and hope it also serves as a reminder of how important getting vaccinated is to prevent future outbreaks in Oakland County.”
Oakland County has a relatively high vaccination waiver rate, which made citizens susceptible to infection.
But community leaders worked quickly to provide vaccination clinics to those who needed it. The department says more than 3,300 measles (MMR) vaccines have been administered since March.
The CDC reports 2019 has already seen the highest number of measles cases reported in the U.S. since 2000. Other states with reported cases are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington.
