Montgomery County has three confirmed measles cases, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Friday, Oct. 9, as the statewide outbreak climbed to 1,136 infections, 219 hospitalizations and five deaths.

Montgomery County had reported no outbreak cases before the Oct. 9 update. The county's own health department webpage had not yet been updated to reflect the new cases as of Saturday.

The escalation comes as a Chester County high school became the first school in that county to shut down over the outbreak. Oxford Area High School closed Friday, Oct. 9, after a confirmed measles case in the school community, Main Line Media News reported. The Chester County Health Department ordered the closure so officials could verify measles immunity records for all staff.

Pennsylvania law requires students to receive the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine unless they have a medical or religious exemption. That requirement does not apply to staff, 6abc reported. The gap left the district scrambling to confirm whether every employee was protected.

"How do we find this out? I was vaccinated in '71," Todd Anderson, an arts and media teacher at Oxford Area High School, told KYW Newsradio. "Because if we don't have these records on file, we can't open the school back up."

Chester County Public Health Director Jeanne Franklin said the staff verification was expected to finish before Monday, Oct. 12. The district planned to update families Sunday, Oct. 11, on whether the school would reopen. The infected person was not vaccinated and does not ride a school bus, according to health officials.

Chester County now has at least 86 confirmed cases. Lancaster County leads the state with 415. About one-third of Pennsylvania's cases have occurred in people under 18, and fewer than 1% involved vaccinated individuals, according to the state health department.

Statewide, at least 40% of kindergartens in the Philadelphia region were vulnerable to an outbreak last school year, up from 33% the year before, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer analysis. Pennsylvania's kindergarten MMR coverage stands at 92.7%, below the 95% threshold health officials say is needed to prevent outbreaks.

Montgomery County's Office of Public Health is offering free MMR vaccines at community clinics through October. Upcoming dates:

  • Saturday, Oct. 10: Davenport Elementary School, 1 East Oak St., Norristown (10 a.m.–1 p.m.)
  • Monday, Oct. 19: 175 West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia (3:30–7 p.m.)
  • Thursday, Oct. 22: Bethel Community Church, 575 North Keim St., Pottstown (4–6 p.m.)
  • Saturday, Oct. 24: Montgomery County Community College, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell (10 a.m.–1:30 p.m.)

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are prioritized, according to the county. Residents can schedule at montgomerycountypa.gov/immunizations or call 610-278-5145. Insurance is not required. In a September press release announcing the clinics, Dr. Richard Lorraine, the county's public health medical director, urged residents to "review their vaccination status and stay up to date on recommended immunizations."

Anyone who suspects measles exposure should call a health provider before leaving home, or contact the Montgomery County Office of Public Health at 610-278-5117.