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Officials warn county vaccine rates are low as state sees measles activity
Summary
Vernon County Health Department staff reported no local measles cases but noted two samples sent for mumps testing and flagged county childhood vaccine coverage at about 50%. Officials referenced a multi-state measles outbreak and urged awareness ahead of planned preparedness events.
Deputy Health Officer Emily Olson told the board on March 12 that Wisconsin had reported no measles cases in 2025 as of March 5, and that Vernon County had sent two specimens this month to the State Lab of Hygiene for possible mumps testing. She briefed the board on an ongoing outbreak in Texas, saying the state reported 222 cases as of March 10, with the majority (82%) under age 19 and 95% unvaccinated or with unknown vaccination status.
Emily Olson and Health Officer Amy Kleiber said Vernon County’s routine childhood vaccine rate sits around 50%, and discussed coalition work with Vernon Memorial Healthcare and Gundersen Viroqua to raise coverage. Board members asked about outbreak planning and vaccination logistics; Emily Olson said the department follows state policy for reportable communicable diseases and described the window for post-exposure vaccine effectiveness.
