Tuscarawas County Confirms 13th Measles Case — First Fully Vaccinated Resident Diagnosed
DOVER (WJER) (Sept. 17, 2026) – Tuscarawas County has confirmed its 13th measles case since late July — and its first in nearly a month. Health Commissioner Katie Seward says the newest patient is also the first fully vaccinated county resident identified in the current outbreak.
Seward says the case cannot be definitively linked to any of the previous 12, though the individual believes they may have been exposed to someone with measles.
She says this does not change the department’s guidance, because two doses of the measles vaccine are still considered about 97-percent effective.
Seward says vaccinated people who do get measles generally have milder symptoms, a shorter illness, and may be less likely to spread it.
The latest individual is reportedly doing well, with mild symptoms and a less widespread rash than some previous cases. Seward says the first 12 local cases have all recovered. Seward says there may still be other measles cases in the community that have not been reported or confirmed.
Statewide, Ohio’s measles hospitalization count remains at nine.
No deaths have been reported in Ohio, though Pennsylvania confirmed its fourth death this week.