Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

Four measles cases confirmed at Georgia daycare

State health officials didn’t identify the daycare in metro Atlanta or cite the ages of the children infected, but said each was either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.
An electron microscope image of a measles virus particle. (Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP, File)

Credit: Centers for Disease Control and

Credit: Centers for Disease Control and

An electron microscope image of a measles virus particle. (Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP, File)
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17 hours ago

A metro Atlanta daycare is at the center of an outbreak of measles, according to state health officials.

Four children from a daycare center were confirmed to have the virus, the Georgia Department of Public Health said in a news release Friday. The department said the four cases are connected to a fifth case it had previously discovered.

“These cases are close contacts of the measles case confirmed last week,” the agency said.

ExploreWill measles outbreak spread to Georgia? With holiday travel, it could.

The DPH did not identify the daycare or the ages of the children infected, but said each was either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause high fever, rash, red eyes and a cough, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In children under the age of 5, the virus can lead to health complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.

The childhood vaccination for measles is administered in two doses: one when a child is about a year old, and another between the ages of 4 and 6.

“The vaccine is safe and effective, and parents with questions about the vaccine or the vaccination schedule can consult their physician,” DPH said in the release.

The DPH encourages anyone with measles symptoms to contact their healthcare provider immediately.

About the Author

Asia Simone Burns is a rapid response reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.

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