WA state sees first measles cases since 2023
WA Department of Health says new cases have connections to South Carolina.
OLYMPIA – State Department of Health officials recently announced that three unvaccinated children in Snohomish County have tested positive for measles. A student attending Central Washington University in Kittitas County has also tested positive for the highly contagious disease, the department said.
It’s the first reported outbreak of measles in Washington since 2023, when nine cases were confirmed.
The three infected children range in age from 23 months to 9 years old. Age and vaccination status were not specified for the student in Ellensburg.
According to state officials, the Snohomish County cases were linked to a family from South Carolina who visited multiple locations in King and Snohomish between Dec. 27 and Jan. 1. Their travels included visits to kindergarten and elementary schools in the Mukilteo School District and the Swedish Mill Creek medical facility in Everett.
The Kittitas County case involves a college student who recently visited South Carolina, then returned to the CWU campus and was considered infectious between Jan. 8-16.
For those who may have been exposed as a result on those dates and locations, tracking information is available on the state DOH website.
In recent weeks, South Carolina has experienced a significant outbreak of measles, primarily affecting unvaccinated persons, with 646 cases reported as of Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Last year saw a surge in measle infections across the United States with 2,242 confirmed cases, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was the nation’s highest total since 1991. Of those infected in 2025, 93% were unvaccinated persons or those with unknown status, and 70% involved children ages 19 and younger.
The U.S. has been considered a measles-free country since 2000, but that status may be in jeopardy.
The virus spreads through the air and can remain airborne up to two hours. Symptoms appear one to three weeks after exposure and include high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and a rash which starts on the face and spreads down the body. Measles can cause serious health complications, especially for babies and young children, and death in rare cases.
A vast majority of public health officials nationwide say the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best protection against infection: one dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective.
