Indianapolis, Indiana: Measles Cases Reach 145 as Riley Hospital Screens Every Visitor

Indiana now has 145 known measles cases this year, the Indiana Department of Health reported on Monday, November 9, 2026. The count stood at 29 on October 8, according to the Indianapolis Star, so the state total has grown by more than 400 percent in about a month.

The cases sit in more than 20 counties. LaGrange County has the most, with 36 cases. Adams County has 19, Wayne County 17, Allen County 14, Miami County 10, and Jennings and Parke counties 9 each, according to the state health department county table dated November 9. No measles death has been reported in Indiana as of November 9, the Star reported.

Riley Hospital screens everyone at the door

Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis began screening patients and visitors at its entrances on November 2. Riley said the screening is a first for measles at the hospital. Staff ask about symptoms that include high fever, cough, runny nose and skin rash.

"Because Riley Hospital for Children cares for some of the most medically fragile and vulnerable kids in the state, including infants who are too young for the MMR vaccine and immunocompromised children, these precautions add a vital layer of defense to keep the hospital environment safe," Riley spokesperson Katie Oakley said, in comments carried by the Star.

Dr. Samina Bhumbra, Riley Children medical director of infection prevention, said the virus can stay in the air for up to two hours after a person leaves a space, in a video the Star cited. She advised families who suspect measles but are not ill to stay home and call their doctor first, and families who need treatment to call ahead so staff can separate them from other patients.

What the state data show

The health department detailed breakdown dated November 3 counted 107 cases. In that dataset, 104 cases were in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, and 3 were in vaccinated people. Twenty five people had been hospitalized, 72 had not, and the status of 10 was unknown. Cases ranged from infants to age 64, with the largest groups between 15 and 29 years old.

Measles spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes or talks, the health department says. If one person has measles, up to 9 out of 10 nearby people who are not protected will become infected. A person can spread measles from 4 days before a rash starts to 4 days after it starts. Early signs include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, followed by a blotchy red rash that starts on the face.

Vaccination rates explain part of the risk

Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97 percent effective at preventing measles, according to Indiana University Health figures cited by the Star. The first dose is given at 12 to 15 months and the second at 4 to 6 years. The CDC threshold for herd protection is above 95 percent vaccination. Kindergarten MMR coverage in LaGrange County sits at 74 percent, state data cited by the Star show. Rates in nearby Elkhart, Noble and Steuben counties are closer to 89, 87 and 83 percent. State officials update county case counts on weekdays and call the numbers provisional.