3 new measles cases found at metro Atlanta daycare, Ga. health officials say

Three more cases of measles have been confirmed at the metro Atlanta daycare at the center of an outbreak, health officials said Friday.

In a news release, the Georgia Department of Public Health said the three new cases are all children who were either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.

The latest cases make eight in total associated with the daycare outbreak. State health officials detected the first measles case at the daycare in mid-August.

Last week, DPH confirmed four more cases, all of whom were children from the same daycare. The agency confirmed those cases were “close contacts” of the previously confirmed measles case.

The agency did not release the name of the daycare, but said all individuals who might have been exposed to the virus have been notified.

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.