Delaware Measles Outbreak Grows to 8 Cases as 7 Patients Were Unvaccinated
Updated
Updated · The News Journal · Aug 5
Delaware Measles Outbreak Grows to 8 Cases as 7 Patients Were Unvaccinated
3 articles · Updated · The News Journal · Aug 5
Summary
Four new measles cases in Delaware — including a child under 10 — lifted the outbreak total to eight as of Aug. 4, with all infections in Kent County.
Seven of the eight patients were unvaccinated, while the one fully vaccinated person had milder symptoms, state health officials said.
Jennifer Horney of the University of Delaware said measles can spread to about 18 susceptible people from one case and can infect others before the rash appears.
Children too young to be vaccinated face the biggest risk, she said, while the standard two-dose measles vaccine is about 97% effective over a lifetime.
CDC data show U.S. measles cases in 2026 have already exceeded the full-year 2025 total, underscoring the broader national resurgence behind Delaware's outbreak.