CLEVELAND, Ohio — As measles cases rise in Ashtabula County, local drug stores are stocked and ready to vaccinate both children and adults. And while the measles vaccine gives life-long protection, people who are vaccinated and living, working or traveling in Ashtabula County — the site of an emerging outbreak — are good candidates for a booster, said Chris Peshek, director, pharmacy operations at Discount Drug Mart. That drug store chain — along with CVS, Rite Aid, Marc’s and Walgreens — are among the local pharmacies that have offered the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine along with other immunizations for some time. Most drug stores only offer the measles vaccine to children and adults; infants generally receive their MMR shots in a pediatrician’s office, Peshek said. Health officials are urging people to get a measles vaccination because 10 confirmed cases of the illness have been found in Ashtabula County, state health officials said in late March. In central Ohio’s Knox County, measles was confirmed in an adult international traveler visiting Knox County. The person has completed their isolation period and is no longer infectious, Knox County health officials said. Knox County was the center of a measles outbreak in 2014, when at least 374 cases of measles and 10 hospitalizations were centered around the largely unvaccinated Amish community in that area of central Ohio. It’s likely that Discount Drug Marts located in Ashtabula County will order extra doses of the MMR vaccine to meet the community’s needs, Peshek said. “It’s important for us to have all the vaccines that our communities would need or want,” Peshek said. Pediatricians recommend that babies receive two doses of the MMR vaccine; one at age 12 through 15 months and the second at ages 4 through 6 years. “The most important thing parents need to know about measles is that it is a vaccine-preventable disease,” said Therese Linnon, pediatrician at Akron Children’s Hospital. “One dose of the measles vaccine provides 93% effectiveness at preventing measles,” Linnon said. “After two doses of the measles vaccine, your child will have about 97% effective prevention from the measles. The best way to protect your child is the measles vaccine.” People are considered immune to measles if they have received two MMR vaccines or were born before 1957, according to health experts. A measles booster is not recommended for most people who have been vaccinated, except in certain circumstances. These include people who are not producing antibodies against measles, and vaccinated people who are at increased risk because they live in an outbreak area, Discount Drug Mart’s Peshek said. Measles is extremely contagious and can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and can infect others up to two hours after the sick person has left a room. Symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, loss of appetite, watery red eyes, and a rash that appears one to two weeks after contact with the virus. Complications from measles are more common among children under 5, adults older than 20 years of age, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems. Diarrhea and ear infections are common complications of measles. Here is information about how to find the MMR vaccine at some local pharmacy chains and health clinics; call ahead to be sure the measles vaccine is in stock. CVS: CVS Pharmacy stores and MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics have the MMR vaccine. While walk-ins are accepted at CVS Pharmacy, patients are encouraged to schedule a vaccination appointment at CVS.com or via the CVS Health app in advance to ensure vaccine availability. Vaccination appointments at MinuteClinic can be scheduled at MinuteClinic.com or via the CVS Health app. Patients ages 5 and up can receive the MMR vaccine at CVS Pharmacy locations in Ohio. MinuteClinics provide the recommended second vaccination to children 4-6 years old. The first dose, if given during the recommended age of 12 to 15 months old, cannot be administered at CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic. Discount Drug Mart: Shots are available during regular store hours; appointments are not needed. Due to low demand, not all Discount Drug Mart locations have the vaccine on hand. Patients 7 and older are eligible for the MMR shot. Marc’s: The MMR vaccine is available during regular pharmacy hours at any Marc’s store that has a pharmacy. Go to the store finder at marcs.com to see which locations have a pharmacy. Make an appointment online at www.marcs.com. Rite Aid: Customers can schedule an appointment or walk-in to any Rite Aid location to receive their MMR vaccine. Rite Aid pharmacists in Ohio are permitted to vaccinate those 5 years and older. Walgreens: Pharmacists can administer to patients 13 or older. Patients 7-12 years of age need a prescription from their healthcare provider. Children under the age of 7 years cannot receive an MMR vaccine at Walgreens, but families can contact their local doctor or health department. Make an appointment on Walgreens.com or in the app, or walk-in at any time during regular pharmacy hours. MMR shots also are available at doctors’ offices, clinics and government health centers. The Cleveland Department of Public Health encourages parents to take their children to their regular pediatrician for this vaccine. For families who don’t have a pediatrician or have other barriers to getting care, the city health department offers weekly childhood vaccination clinics. (Details here.) The Cuyahoga County Board of Health provides the MMR vaccine to families with or without health insurance. Patients should contact the board to schedule an appointment, which, in some cases, could be the same day. Call 216-201-2041. Julie Washington covers healthcare for cleveland.com. Read previous stories at this link.