WEST CHESTER, PA — Six new measles cases have been confirmed in Chester County over the past 10 days, according to the most recently available statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
The state's measles tracking dashboard now shows 26 cases in Chester County, up from 20 on Aug. 4.
Statewide, the total number of cases has also risen to 258, an increase of 82 cases in that same time.
Lancaster County is the epicenter, with 145 cases. Chester County has the second highest number of cases in the state.
Local officials continue to urge residents to get vaccinated if they have not already. The county health department puts out several reminders per week warning about the dangers of measles.
While many residents are vaccinated and up to 97 percent immune to the virus, unvaccinated rates have rapidly risen. The CDC says this is why measles has made a comeback after it had been all but obliterated by 2000.
Measles is highly infectious to those who are not vaccinated or who have not contracted it before, but it is extremely rare for a vaccinated individual to contract it, according to health officials. In the highly unlikely case a vaccinated person does get measles, they usually have milder symptoms.
To learn more about getting vaccinated in Chester County, see here.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
West Chester Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.