HAMILTON COUNTY — With spring break approaching, Hamilton County health officials are urging Hoosiers to check their vaccination records before hitting the road or boarding a plane, as measles cases continue to rise across the country.
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The Hamilton County Health Department says they wanted to be pro-active so they issued a warning ahead of the anticipated busy travel season.
While no measles cases have been reported in Indiana so far this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 1,100 cases nationwide as of February 26.
Janice VanMetre, director of nursing for the Hamilton County Health Department, said the disease's high contagion rate makes travel especially risky. She added that the virus can live in the air for up to two hours.
"Right now, we're mostly concerned with measles because of it being so contagious. If you're going traveling by plane or bus or anything like that, you're very susceptible to it," VanMetre told WRTV.
Popular spring break destinations like South Carolina, Texas and even Florida are among the areas seeing a surge in cases. VanMetre said the outbreak is also close to home.
"It's all around us, it's in Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio," VanMetre said.
She said the risk is particularly high in group settings.
"If you're in a room of 10 people who aren't vaccinated, nine of them will end up with measles. And the thing with traveling, especially in college kids, it's because they're in very close contact with each other," VanMetre said.
Emmanuel Carter, who lives in Carmel, plans to fly to Florida with his family in the coming weeks. He said the warning caught him off guard.
"I honestly didn't know that measles was having an outbreak, and that's really scary. This makes me just want to further keep up with the trend of keeping our hands washed and maybe wearing masks," Carter said.
VanMetre said hand-washing and masking are good practices when traveling, but emphasized that vaccination remains the most effective form of protection.
"Check your immunization record. If you haven't had it, it's best to go and get the vaccine. Once you get the vaccine, you should be in pretty good shape not to get the disease," VanMetre said.
She also pointed to declining vaccination rates as a growing concern.
"There's a lot of hesitancy about getting vaccines. The thing you have to remember is just look at years ago when we didn't have vaccines, how many people were sick," VanMetre said.
VanMetre said protecting yourself while traveling also means protecting others when you return home. Carter echoed that sentiment.
"I hope we're keeping people safe by having the knowledge about it," Carter said.
Health officials warn that early symptoms of measles can look like a common cold before developing into a rash.
Children can receive a measles vaccine as young as six months old, though health officials recommend directing any questions to a doctor.
Last year, there were 11 reported cases of measles in Indiana. One of those cases involved an international visitor.
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