(The Center Square) – A fifth case of measles occurred in Georgia, the state Department of Public Health said on Friday.
The unvaccinated individual contracted the disease from a person who acquired it from out of the country, according to a release. That case was reported to the health department in May.
Six confirmed measles cases were reported in all of 2024,according to the department.
The Health Department said the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is safe and recommended it.
“More than 95% of the people who receive a single dose of MMR will develop immunity to all three viruses,” the department said. “A second dose boosts immunity, typically enhancing protection to 98%.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said as of June 5, 24 states had confirmed measles cases this year and three people have died. Ninety-five percent of the cases occurred in people who were not vaccinated, the agency said.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was quoted as being skeptical of the measles vaccine but said in an April post on social media, “The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.”
Kennedy made his comments during a visit to Texas, where the death of two young girls was attributed to measles.
