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Have you gotten your annual flu or COVID-19 shots yet this season? It's a good idea, both because it protects you and your families AND because it helps protect those in more vulnerable populations.
For many of us, getting those two protections has become simply part of the fall routine -- and rightly so. Similarly, for most families, making sure everyone is up to date on other vaccinations, such as against measles, is an important item to check off the list.
An alarmingly increasing number of people are failing to take that step, however, and Ohio's third measles outbreak of 2026 is a sign of the damage that is doing.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, there are 196 cases of measles in 16 counties so far this year -- up from 180 cases in 15 counties just a week earlier.
Measles cases are not confined to one part of the state, either. They have been reported in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Gallia, Geauga, Harrison, Holmes, Knox, Meigs, Morgan, Morrow, Ottawa, Portage, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties this year.
To put that in perspective, this year's nearly 200 cases -- with three months left to go -- contrast markedly with one case in 2023, seven cases in 2024 and 45 cases in 2025.
You all know what the difference is. Fear-based, politicized and incredibly dangerous nonsense that spreads with the same viciousness as these preventable diseases.
According to a report by the Akron Beacon Journal, measles, which had at one time been declared eradicated in the U.S. because of vaccination requirements, has hit a 35-year high, with 3,387 cases in a report released Sept. 11.
Vaccination rates are dropping. Herd immunity is dwindling, and, sadly, people are dying. Despite what you might be hearing from those play-acting as politicians and experts, getting vaccinated -- and getting your kids vaccinated -- is the best way to protect against measles, according to both the Ohio Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It's not too late to get it done, nor is it too late to ask your doctor or pharmacist about those other protections such as flu, COVID-19 or pneumonia shots.
We have tools to help keep ourselves, our families and our communities healthier, folks. Use them.