A measles outbreak tied to a metro Atlanta daycare has grown to 10 confirmed cases, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) announced Friday, Sept. 11.
Two new cases brought the daycare cluster to 10, matching the total number of measles infections Georgia recorded in all of 2025. The state has now confirmed 16 measles cases in 2026, according to WSB-TV.
Tiffany Daggett, writing for the Fulton County Board of Health, published the alert Friday. It noted that DPH is still working to identify and notify people who may have been exposed.
What parents should know
The outbreak began with a single confirmed case on Aug. 18 and has spread entirely among children who were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, according to DPH. State officials have not named the daycare or disclosed its exact location, saying only that it is in the metro Atlanta area. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning also declined to release the facility's name.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says measles is extremely contagious. Up to nine out of 10 unprotected people who come into close contact with an infected person will catch the virus.
Symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure, though the window can range from four to 21 days. They usually start with high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes, followed by a rash of tiny red spots that begins at the head and spreads downward.
Vaccination rates lag statewide
Georgia's kindergarten vaccination rate stood at about 89% during the 2025-26 school year, according to CDC data reported by WRDW. That falls short of the roughly 95% coverage health officials say is needed to prevent outbreaks. The state's overall kindergarten vaccine exemption rate is 5.1%, with medical exemptions accounting for just 0.1%, according to Atlanta News First.
The CDC recommends children receive their first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age and a second dose between ages 4 and 6. About 93% of people develop immunity after one dose, and protection rises to about 97% after a second.
If you think you've been exposed
DPH urges anyone who feels sick or believes they may have been exposed to call a healthcare provider before visiting a doctor's office, hospital or clinic. People without a doctor can call the DPH Acute Disease Epidemiology Section at 404-657-2588 on weekdays or 1-866-782-4584 on evenings and weekends.
Potentially exposed individuals should stay home and avoid contact with others, especially babies under 1 year old and people with weakened immune systems. Additional information is available at the Georgia DPH measles page and the CDC's measles resource page.
