Health officials declare 14 new measles cases and outbreaks in three counties
Maryland health officials on Monday declared measles outbreaks in three counties and identified 14 new cases of the illness.
The outbreaks were declared in St. Mary's, Carroll and Cecil counties, the Maryland Department of Health said in a press release. The 14 confirmed new cases were discovered in unvaccinated Maryland residents.
No public exposures were identified in the new cases and there is currently no evidence of widespread community transmission because most of the cases occurred among household contacts, health officials said. "The Department is working with the local health departments in the affected areas to promote opportunities for vaccination," the release said.
The health department said there have been 31 confirmed cases of measles across the state this year. The first 27 of those were confirmed since July 15, 2026. All of them involved unvaccinated residents.
There were 13 cases identified in St. Mary's County, eight in Carroll County, five in Cecil County and one in Charles County. The four cases confirmed prior to July 15, 2026 were residents in Anne Arundel (2), Baltimore (1) and Prince George's (1).
Several of the confirmed cases were found in Maryland residents who had traveled out of state.
Risk of transmission low in vaccinated individuals
"Measles is highly contagious, and we are actively working with healthcare professionals and local health departments to support impacted communities, respond to cases and mitigate further spread," said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani.
Seshamani added that the overall risk of contracting measles remains low if the individual is vaccinated.
"We ask that Marylanders join us in our effort to help keep our youngest safe and protect those who are most at risk," Seshamani said. "Checking your vaccination status and getting vaccinated if you are not up-to-date is the simplest and most effective way to do that."
The health department says that if someone is not protected from measles, there is a 90% chance they will become infected if they are exposed to it.
Guidance issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the MMR vaccine be given at 12–15 months of age for the first dose, with the second dose at 4–6 years of age. An early dose should be considered for infants aged 6–11 months if they live in or are traveling to an outbreak area.
Adults are recommended to have at least one documented dose of MMR. Some who are at higher risk are recommended to have two doses if they don't have other evidence of immunity.