Sept. 17, 2026
By TIM HUNDT
VIROQUA, Wis. — Public health officials in Vernon County have confirmed two local cases of measles, triggering an active contact-tracing investigation alongside state health authorities to identify and notify individuals who may have been exposed to the virus. The diagnosis was formally verified through laboratory testing conducted by the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene.
The Vernon County Health Department is collaborating directly with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to trace potential exposure sites and notify impacted community members. Health officials warned that individuals who are unvaccinated or unsure of their immunization status face the highest risk of contracting the disease. Any resident uncertain of their vaccination history is urged to contact their healthcare provider or the county health department.
This is an ongoing investigation. For more information and to view statewide case counts, please visit The Wisconsin Department of Health Services website at Immunizations:
Department of Health Services https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/immunization/measles.htm
Understanding Symptoms and Airborne Spread
According to the health department’s official public health alert, measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable respiratory illness. The virus spreads easily through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and lingering viral droplets can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after a sick individual leaves an area. Infection can lead to severe and potentially fatal medical complications, including pneumonia, permanent brain damage, and deafness.
Symptoms typically begin 10 to 12 days following exposure, though the incubation period can range from seven to 21 days. Early signs include:
- High fever that can surpass 104 degrees Fahrenheit
- Runny nose and persistent cough
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Red, watery eyes or conjunctivitis (“pink eye”)
A distinct red rash featuring raised bumps usually develops three to five days after initial symptoms begin. The rash typically starts at the hairline and moves downward across the face, body, arms, and legs.
Health officials strongly advise anyone exhibiting symptoms to stay home and refrain from going to work, school, shopping centers, or using public transportation. Individuals must call their doctor’s office or clinic before visiting in person so healthcare personnel can take necessary precautions to prevent exposing other patients in waiting rooms.
Vaccination Recommendations and Verification
Public health authorities emphasized that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine provides the strongest defense against the virus. State health guidelines recommend that children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, with the first dose administered between 12 and 15 months of age and the second dose given between ages 4 and 6 prior to entering kindergarten. Adults born before 1957 are generally presumed immune, while all other adults without laboratory evidence of immunity should receive at least one dose.
MMR vaccines are accessible at local healthcare clinics, area pharmacies, and the Vernon County Health Department. Wisconsin residents can review their official immunization records online via the Wisconsin Immunization Registry portal or by contacting their medical provider. For further guidance or inquiries, the Vernon County Health Department can be reached by phone at 608-637-5251 or by email at health@vernoncountywi.gov.
Wisconsin residents can check the WI Immunization Registry, https://www.dhfswir.org/PR/portalHeader.do or contact their health care provider or local health department to see if they have been vaccinated to protect against measles.
County Efforts to Counter Vaccine Hesitancy
The confirmation of local measles cases comes in the wake of targeted efforts by county health leaders to address declining immunization figures across Southwest Wisconsin. In April 2026, the Vernon County Board of Supervisors passed Resolution 2026-28, accepting a $2,400 American Rescue Plan Act mini-grant from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to launch an educational outreach initiative.
Public Health Director Amy Kleiber explained to county supervisors that the grant funded a billboard campaign across Vernon County and matching educational posters in local clinics, encouraging residents to have direct, one-on-one conversations with their personal healthcare providers regarding vaccine safety.
Kleiber reported that immunization rates among Vernon County children under 24 months of age had fallen to 38 percent, compared to pre-pandemic levels that historically hovered around 50 percent. Health officials noted that while countywide statistics are influenced by Vernon County’s sizable plain and Amish population—who frequently decline routine childhood vaccines unless an immediate family risk arises—vaccine hesitancy has increased across the broader community in recent years.
The educational push was further heightened by a regional measles outbreak earlier in the summer across neighboring Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette counties, which recorded more than 40 cases, overwhelmingly among unvaccinated children. To protect local families, Vernon County health staff conducted door-to-door visits in plain community settlements across the county, providing educational literature and offering voluntary in-home MMR immunizations.
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