As measles cases spread elsewhere, Janesville health care facilities add additional precautions

JANESVILLE — As measles cases outside of Rock County continue to rise, healthcare facilities in Janesville are taking extra precautions. A sign outside SSM Health St. Mary's directs patients with measles symptoms to call ahead and not enter the building. There currently are no confirmed cases of measles in Rock County, according to the Rock County Health Department. In a social media post, SSM Health reminded parents that the MMR vaccine has been safely used in the United States for more than 50 years and remains the most effective way to prevent measles. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, there have been 136 confirmed and 6 probable cases in the outbreak in Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette counties as of Sept. 4. There have been a total of 144 cases in Wisconsin so far in 2026, with 143 of those being unvaccinated patients.