As the number of measles cases increases across the country, the college’s top expert on infectious diseases is recommending that Allegheny students get the measles vaccine and double-check to ensure that their vaccination records on file at the college are up-to-date.

Associate Professor of Biology Becky Dawson, ’00, an epidemiologist who has been closely tracking measles outbreaks across the country, said in an interview with The Campus that the emergence of measles in the Meadville area is “inevitable.”

“It’s going to happen,” Dawson said.

Last year, there were more than 2,200 measles cases in the United States — ending the year with more cases than any year since 1991. The first two months of 2026 have seen similar levels of cases, with several occurring in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The Allegheny immunization policy requires that students be vaccinated against measles. However, some students apply for an exemption to the vaccination policy if they have medical documentation that a vaccine could cause them harm or if they have a “sincere and genuine religious belief” prohibiting a particular immunization.

The policy also states that “students who are granted an exemption may be asked to leave campus in the event of an outbreak.”

Five measles cases have been reported in Pennsylvania this year, according to the Johns Hopkins Measles Tracker, updated on Friday, Feb. 20. All five occurred in Lancaster County, which is approximately 65 miles outside Philadelphia and over 300 miles from Meadville. However, Lancaster Online reported on Tuesday, Feb. 24, that the total number of infected Pennsylvania residents has jumped to 11 people and that the cases now span Montgomery and Chester counties as well.

Just over 100 miles from Meadville, there have been three cases of measles in Cuyahoga County in Ohio, according to the Johns Hopkins database.

Dawson acknowledged that there may be additional cases that are undiagnosed if an infected individual does not visit the doctor.

Measles is an upper respiratory infection that causes a rash, fever and can compromise hearing and eyesight. Severe complications can include brain swelling and pneumonia.

“Everyone associates it (measles) with the rash that’s there,” Dawson said. “The rash is actually just your immune system responding to a terrible viral infection.”

The World Health Organization classifies measles as one of the most contagious diseases on the planet. The virus can linger in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours, and up to 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to measles will contract the illness. The WHO estimates that before widespread measles vaccination, “major epidemics occurred approximately every two to three years and caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year.”

Dawson described the virus as so contagious that if a baby infected with measles — who was too young to get the vaccine — were brought into the infant room in the daycare in Oddfellows Hall, everyone in Oddfellows Hall would be considered exposed to the virus.

A collective community vaccination rate against measles needs to be at least 95% to prevent the spread of the illness. The measles vaccination rate in Crawford County for children under 5 years old is 74%, and 70 to 79% of the total county population is vaccinated for measles, according to a database created by Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Dean for Student Life & Title IX Coordinator Trae Yeckley explained that if measles cases were to occur near campus, the Emergency Response Team — made up of the president’s cabinet, the Office of Public Safety and other relevant experts from the community or college — would be responsible for deciding how to handle the situation.

The college also works closely with the Meadville Medical Center, which notifies the college if they detect a spike or other public health event to be aware of, Yeckley said.

“If there were a case of measles on campus, per our policy, anyone who is not immunized would be sent home,” Yeckley said.

An individual does not immediately become infectious once exposed. An unvaccinated individual would have 72 hours to get the measles vaccine to protect themselves from the virus, Dawson said.

Two shots of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are 97% effective at preventing infection. While 3% of vaccinated individuals may contract measles, the vaccine still prevents a case of measles severe enough to require hospitalization.

Those who are not vaccinated should consider the consequences that being exposed to measles might have on their lives, Dawson said, pointing to the mandatory 21-day quarantine period for unvaccinated people who are exposed to measles, plus the 14-day minimum isolation period if an individual shows symptoms. Even if someone does not contract measles, the initial quarantine period would mean almost an entire month away from school.

“That ruins your year,” Dawson said.

Dawson recommends that all students check the vaccine records they submitted to the college at the beginning of their freshman year to ensure their MMR vaccine is up-to-date on the paperwork.

“You don’t want to be sent home if you are one of the people that’s actually vaccinated,” Dawson said, “just because your records are not up-to-date.”