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(Des Moines, IA) -- Measles has been back in the news across the country, and the Polk County Health Department says they're ready if it pops up in the Des Moines area. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, 164 cases have been reported across the country as of the end of February.
Addie Olson works with the Polk County Health Department. She talks about the process if a case is detected.
"We would investigate the source," Olson says. "Conduct contact tracing to see who might've been exposed. If needed, we would issue public health alerts with exposure locations and guidance."
Olson says the amount of local students opting out of immunizations for religious reasons jumped 19% between 2023 and 2024.
"Religious exemptions have been on the rise," Olson says. "I think it's every year since 2018. That's part of our overall vaccination rates in our schools decreasing."
Iowa has not seen a case since 2019.