Vermont health officials say they have confirmed connected cases of measles in Orleans County.
They say the risk to the general public remains low, but that an investigation is ongoing.
Vermont Health Commissioner Rick Hildebrant said the number of cases remained “less than five” for now, but characterized the situation as “evolving.”
“We have the risk of seeing person-to-person transmission within the state of Vermont. We have not seen that yet. But I am fearful that we might,” he said in an interview Tuesday.
Hildebrant said that the disease was believed to have been contracted when people traveled out-of-state but within the country.
Measles cases have been occurring in Vermont more frequently in recent years as vaccination rates wane and the disease sees a resurgence nationwide. Hildebrant noted that this Vermont news had arrived in the same week as the Pan American Health Organization, an international public health agency, is expected to evaluate whether the U.S. should retain its measles elimination status.
“That should never have happened. It shouldn’t be happening. We are seeing deaths in America that we should not see,” the health commissioner said.
Health officials in Vermont last detected a case of measles this February. The state also reported two cases in both 2025 and 2024. In the decade prior, Vermont had confirmed just one case in 2011 and one in 2018.
The disease is highly contagious and spreads through the air. It can lead to dangerous and even fatal complications, like brain swelling and pneumonia, particularly in young children and those who aren’t vaccinated. About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people who get measles are hospitalized, according to the CDC.
There is no cure for measles, but research shows the measles, mumps, and rubella — or MMR — vaccine is extremely effective at preventing the disease.
“A single shot of MMR protects 93% against measles, and two is 97%. So while yes, general infection control practices are warranted, the reality is, given how contagious this illness is, that’s not going to do it,” Hildebrant said. “You need to get vaccinated.”
Measles shots are free in Vermont, even if someone is uninsured. The health department has published a list of resources to help Vermonters figure out if they’ve been immunized, and how to get vaccinated if they want to.
Source: www.vermontpublic.org
