LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. —
Just days after the number of measles cases in Kentucky reached 100, dozens more were reported.
As of Wednesday, the number of cases reported in the Commonwealth now stands at 157 for 2026.
Most of them are from Laurel County, which had seven cases just a few days ago. Today, there are 56, according to the state dashboard.
Laurel County is located in southeastern Kentucky,
The dashboard says the outbreak involves unvaccinated people from several large households who have been “isolated from the broader community.”
This content is imported from infogram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their website.
In only one case did the person report receiving the full vaccine. One case received one dose of MMR, and the others received none.
Of the state’s total, nine of those cases led to hospitalization.
So far, no deaths have been reported.
There have only been 13 cases total in 2025, and none were reported in the previous year.
What to know about measles
Measles is a disease caused by a highly contagious virus.
It is spread through the air when a person with measles sneezes, coughs, or breathes.
Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and rash. Tiny white spots may appear in the mouth two to three days after symptoms start.
The illness can be particularly serious in infants, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
Although rare, measles can cause death.
What Kentucky health officials are saying
Kentucky health officials warned that this was the highest number of cases in decades. Dr. Steve Stack of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, along with other local health officials, encouraged people to get vaccinated.
“We don’t need to have measles,” Gov. Andy Beshear said last month. “We have a proven tool that has eliminated it from the United States for over a quarter of a century. The only reason it’s reappearing today is, I think, because of the neglect of information and advice that is being shared freely. We want people to not feel vilified or slandered. We want people to feel informed.”
Gn Health
