Public health officials on Wednesday announced confirmed cases of measles in two unvaccinated children in Sacramento County, which are among 26 confirmed measles cases in California so far this year.
The first child in Sacramento County contracted measles in January while traveling to South Carolina, where there is a large ongoing outbreak, according to a news release from Sacramento County Public Health. This child was no longer symptomatic or contagious as of Wednesday.
Health officials said the measles exposure in the second child in Sacramento County was unknown. This child received medical care from 6:55 a.m. through 7:14 a.m Monday at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center and is now recovering at home in isolation, according to the health agency.
“Measles is highly contagious and can easily be brought back into our community through travel,” Dr. Olivia Kasirye, the county’s public health officer, said in the news release. “The most important step for people to take right now is to make sure you and your family are up to date on the measles vaccination.”
Staff at the Roseville hospital identified patients and staff who may have been exposed and iare coordinating with county health officials to notify those people.
Health officials said Kaiser Permanente Roseville implemented appropriate infection control measures once measles was suspected and alerted the county health agency.
Anyone who was at the Roseville medical center during the Monday time window may be at risk of developing measles and should call the county’s Communicable Disease Program at 916-875-5881. A trained public health team is available to assess individual risk and determine whether preventive steps, including vaccination, are recommended.
Health officials said measles can be safely prevented with a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (also known as an MMR vaccine) or a measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine. Those vaccines are administered in two doses, which are typically given at 1 year and 4 to 6 years old, and are highly effective. Health officials said two doses are 97% effective in preventing measles, and one dose is 93% effective.
On Monday, health officials announced that three measles cases were confirmed in Placer County. That prompted authorities to declare a localized outbreak in Placer County, though health officials said the risk to the broader public remained low. The Placer County measles cases involved three teenagers in a single family linked through household exposure. Health officials said they suspected a fourth case involving another family member.
This story was originally published March 4, 2026 at 12:12 PM.
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Rosalio Ahumada writes breaking news stories related to crime and public safety for The Sacramento Bee. He speaks Spanish fluently and has worked as a news reporter in the Central Valley since 2004.