<\/p>\n
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,136 measles cases in the United States in 2026, including Florida as an affected jurisdiction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Courtesy of UCF<\/p>\n
As Florida claims the title of the third-highest state with reported measles cases this year, local experts and UCF students\u00a0highlight the importance of staying informed about the disease.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A blotchy, red rash, which typically starts on the face and spreads downward,\u00a0 is one of the symptoms of measles, according to Mayo Clinic.\u00a0The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u00a0confirmed 26 jurisdictions in the United States to be affected by measles in 2026, including Florida.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/p>\n
Florida has reported 107 measles cases, the third-highest total in the country, behind Utah with 149 cases and South Carolina with 653 cases, according<\/a> to the CDC<\/a>.\u00a0A\u00a0measles outbreak at Ave Maria University, a private school in southwest Florida, has infected 40 students on campus, alongside two positive cases at the University of Florida, according to a report from The New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n Giuliano Cappiello, junior biomedical sciences major, said he believes an outbreak on UCF’s campus is unlikely.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUCF has a high vaccination rate because it is required, making a massive outbreak less likely than in other places with a lower vaccination rate,\u201d Cappiello said.<\/p>\n While the measles, mumps\u00a0and rubella vaccines are required for those who attend classes and work on campus, exemptions are allowed for personal reasons, such as religion or family tradition,\u00a0according to the\u00a0UCF immunization information website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n These exemptions could put students at risk of exposure to the virus, which can sometimes be fatal, said\u00a0Liliam Mayora, an Orlando-based medical assistant with\u00a0Solidaridad Sin Fronteras<\/a>. The organization, founded in 2004, helps internationally trained health professionals integrate into the U.S. health care system.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the person is immunocompromised, they will die because they have no defenses to fight it off,\u201d Mayora said. \u201cThis is an aggressive virus; it attacks the respiratory tract and can then spread to the skin, the eyes and even to the vicinity of the central nervous system.\u201d<\/p>\n Florida has shown a decline in vaccination rates in recent years:\u00a0the MMR vaccination rate in kindergarten during the 2024-25 school year was projected at 88.8%, which is 4%\u00a0below the national average, according to a CDC report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dr. Cindy Prins, an assistant professor in the Department of Population Health Science within the College of Medicine at UCF, suggested a visit to the doctor to learn more about the virus.<\/p>\n \u201cI think a lot of it just has to do with conversations about the importance of vaccines and about the safety of vaccines,\u201d Dr. Prins said. \u201cUnfortunately, health care providers aren’t given much time to provide that kind of counseling to their patients, so being able to really sit down and have that longer conversation is difficult. However, I still think that’s the best place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This issue is also reflected in the statistics, as 59%\u00a0of unvaccinated people are between the ages of 5 and 19, according to the CDC<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The recent outbreak may be curbed by the highly effective MMR vaccine, according to health experts. Estefani Ventura, junior nursing student, emphasized the importance of keeping vaccination records up to date.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cKeep a better record and make sure that you get the vaccinations, but that’s something that’s gonna depend on the parents if you’re underage,\u201d Ventura said. \u201cBut if you’re over age, you could go to your doctor, check your records, make sure everything is updated, and get whatever else you need. So we can prevent all these things.\u201d<\/p>\n