Feb. 26, 2026, 5:11 a.m. ET
Health officials are training providers to recognize measles symptoms, which can mimic the flu.Local health systems have implemented protocols to isolate and test suspected measles patients safely.
Erie County’s first measles cases in 34 years caught some health-care providers by surprise last spring, when eight cases were reported.
Local health systems and the Erie County Department of Health are working to make sure that doesn’t happen if more local cases are found in 2026.
“When Pennsylvania’s first measles cases of 2026 were reported (Jan. 30) in the Lancaster area, we put out a health alert to every health-care provider and urgent-care center in the county,” said Erin Mrenak, health department director. “They are our first line of defense.”
Measles outbreaks have increased across the county, especially in areas where the vaccination rate has declined.
It is a public-health issue because measles is highly contagious among unvaccinated people. It can lead to serious and even life-threatening complications, including blindness, brain swelling and pneumonia.
But few doctors working today have seen patients with measles and several of the initial symptoms — a runny nose, watery eyes and coughing ― are similar to flu and other common respiratory illnesses.
“That’s why we have done some in-service programs with doctors and their staffs about signs and symptoms for measles and the protocols for treatment,” said Dr. Joseph Aracri, a pediatrician and chairman of the AHN Pediatric Institute.
AHN is Saint Vincent Hospital’s parent health system.
Detecting measles early is important for several reasons. A dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine administered within 72 hours of exposure may prevent or lessen the severity of measles.
Diagnosing someone early in their course of illness also can reduce the number of people they expose and possibly infect. That means quarantining the patient and finding their close contacts within three days of the initial exposure.
“Our (measles rapid response) team is still intact from last year,” Mrenak said. “We feel very confident that we can reallocate workloads quickly in response to any cases of measles. And we now have real-life experience with measles.”
UPMC Hamot also has real-life experience dealing with measles patients, after one of them exposed staff and patients at UPMC Children’s Express, 3330 Peach St., last year.
They key is to treat the patient without exposing other patients and the medical staff, said Michael Hopwood, director of operations for primary care for the UPMC Hamot physician network.
If a patient or their family member calls the office, they would be triaged over the phone using UPMC’s measles response plan to assess their risk.
“If a patient is identified as a possible suspected measles case while already in the office, staff would immediately implement transmission‑based precautions, including masking and isolating the patient, and using appropriate personal protective equipment to safely care for them while protecting other patients and staff,” Hopwood said in an email.
Saint Vincent offers drive-through measles testing
Staff at Saint Vincent medical offices have been trained to offer noncontact testing to suspected measles patients, Aracri said.
“Say there is a patient with a known measles exposure,” Aracri said. “We have them come to a side door, not even into the office itself. They don’t even have to come out of the car. We can provide a nasal swabbing, just like we did during COVID.”
The best advice for families who want to protect their children and themselves from measles is to get vaccinated, Mrenak said.
“If you think you already have been vaccinated against measles, find your vaccination records,” Mrenak said. “If you can’t find them or aren’t sure you received a shot, get one.”
Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com or by calling 814-870-1736.