Four measles cases confirmed at Georgia daycare
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.
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.