Updated May 14, 2025 at 10:35 a.m.
Ingham County health officials say a recent case of measles that had been confirmed was tied to a vaccination, not a viral infection.
The one-year-old child had been exposed to the county’s first case this year which was confirmed earlier in April. But testing confirmed the positive result came from a measles shot.
Health officials do not consider this type of case an infection since the vaccine does not contain a strong enough strain of the virus to be contagious. The case will no longer be counted as a confirmed one by county and state health departments.
“When we test for measles, the first test is very sensitive and can pick up both real infections and traces of the vaccine virus,” Ingham County Medical Health Officer Dr. Nike Shoyinka said in a release.
“Further testing showed the symptoms were likely from an unrelated illness and the positive test result was due to a recent vaccination, not a case of measles.”
The boy only experienced mild symptoms.
Health care leaders still recommend everyone be vaccinated through the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) shot on a two-dose schedule. Typically, the first dose is given at 12-15 months of age and the second at 4-6 years old.
