EASTON, MARYLAND — Maryland has confirmed 67 measles cases so far this year, compared with three in all of 2025, according to the Maryland Department of Health. The state count is as of Nov. 5.
The department lists Cecil, Charles and St. Mary's counties as jurisdictions in active outbreak status. Talbot is not on that list. State health officials say they are responding to an outbreak among unvaccinated people, but that there is currently no evidence of widespread community transmission.
Nationally, 5,182 confirmed measles cases had been reported in the United States this year as of Nov. 5, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is more than double the 2,289 cases reported in all of 2025. The CDC counts four measles deaths this year and says that number could change.
The timing matters as Thanksgiving approaches. Measles is not a seasonal virus, the CDC says, but it often spreads during times of high travel, including holidays. The virus spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and others can catch it from the air in a room for up to two hours after that person leaves, according to the agency. The Talbot County Health Department notes that people can spread measles before they know they are sick.
Symptoms often include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, followed a few days later by a rash, the county health department says. Anyone who thinks they may have measles should call a health care provider before going in, so the office can help prevent exposure to others.
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as MMR, is the CDC's main recommendation for protection. Two doses are 97% effective at preventing measles and one dose is 93% effective, according to the agency. In an August release, the state health department said the first dose is routinely recommended at 12 to 15 months and the second at 4 to 6 years. It said adults are recommended to have at least one documented dose and some adults at higher risk two doses; the CDC says that advice is for adults who don't have other evidence of immunity. People who are unsure of their status can ask their health care provider or request their records through the state's online My Immunization Record system.
Standard health insurance plans typically cover the MMR vaccine, the state says. Uninsured children can get MMR through the federal Vaccines for Children program. Underinsured children qualify for an MMR dose only if their plan doesn't cover that vaccine, charges the family a copay or other out-of-pocket cost for it, or has reached its dollar cap for vaccines, according to the CDC. They can get it at a federally qualified health center, a rural health clinic or a provider with an approved deputization agreement. Uninsured or underinsured adults can check with their local health department about whether a free dose is available through the Maryland Vaccine Program.
In Talbot, the county health department gives childhood vaccines by appointment on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m. Children younger than 19 qualify for Vaccines for Children if they are Medicaid-eligible, uninsured, underinsured, or American Indian or Alaska Native. Call 410-819-5600 for an appointment at 510 Cadmus Lane in Easton. The department's office is closed Wednesday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day and reopens Thursday, Nov. 12.
Source: Maryland Department of Health
Drawn from public records; drafted with AI and edited by Peter Gorman before publication.
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