JASPER COUNTY, Ga. — Five additional cases of measles have been confirmed in Georgia, bringing the state’s total to 21 cases this year, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The latest cases involve five siblings from the same Jasper County family. DPH says the children were either unvaccinated or under-vaccinated, and at least one had recently traveled out of state.
Health officials are now working to identify anyone who may have been exposed to the family.
The new cases bring Georgia’s total to more than double the number reported during all of last year.
Pediatrician Dr. Roy Benaroch says one of the challenges in containing measles is that people can spread the virus before they realize they are sick.
“You can become contagious a few days before you become ill,” Benaroch said.
Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. According to DPH, the virus can remain in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
“I think it’s fair to say it’s the most contagious virus that we know of, and one of the reasons is because it’s truly airborne,” Benaroch said. “It’s just in the air. It doesn’t need little water droplets; it just floats in the air.”
RELATED STORIES:
- 2 more measles cases connected to metro Atlanta daycare outbreak
- Measles outbreak linked to metro Atlanta daycare
- More measles cases connected to metro Atlanta daycare outbreak
For parents, the first symptoms may not immediately look like measles. Symptoms typically begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. The telltale rash of red spots usually appears later, beginning around the head before spreading to other parts of the body.
Symptoms typically develop seven to 14 days after exposure, although DPH says they can take as long as 21 days to appear.
Health officials say vaccination remains the best way to prevent measles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children receive their first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine between 12 and 15 months old and a second dose between ages 4 and 6.
“We still have a very safe, very effective vaccine,” Benaroch said. “We can make this something that parents no longer have to worry about, so let’s concentrate on doing the right thing and getting all the kids immunized.”
DPH says the five Jasper County cases are not connected to the earlier measles outbreak in Cobb County.
Anyone who believes they or their child may have measles should contact a healthcare provider before going to a doctor’s office, clinic or emergency room. DPH says calling ahead allows medical providers to take precautions to avoid exposing other patients.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
