Akron Children's Hospital is warning that anyone who rode the yellow elevators in the main hospital building at its Golisano Campus between 8:03 and 10:03 a.m. on Oct. 20 may have been exposed to measles. The hospital says the risk of illness is low for people who received the full measles vaccination series, but it is urging extra caution for infants younger than 1 year, immunocompromised people, and pregnant people who are not immune to the virus.
The hospital detailed the timeframe and location in a news release, according to the Akron Beacon Journal, which reported that the exposure happened specifically on the yellow elevators in the main hospital building at the Golisano Campus. As first reported by News 5 Cleveland, hospital officials say anyone who was in that space during the two-hour window should assess their own immunity status and watch for symptoms in the weeks that follow.
People who are not immune and may have been exposed are advised to wear a mask indoors and around anyone unvaccinated for 21 days after the exposure, per the Beacon Journal's reporting. Those born before 1957 or who have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine generally do not need to do anything beyond monitoring themselves for symptoms, the same report notes. Anyone under 12 months old, pregnant and not immune, or severely immunosuppressed is encouraged to contact a health care provider as soon as possible to discuss managing the exposure, and the hospital has encouraged anyone with concerns to reach out to their own provider.
What Symptoms to Watch For
Measles typically starts with a fever alongside a cough, runny nose, congestion, or red and watery eyes, followed by a flat red rash that usually begins on the face and spreads down the body, according to the Beacon Journal's account of the hospital's guidance. Symptoms usually show up seven to 14 days after exposure, though it can take as long as 21 days, the Columbus Dispatch reports. Anyone who develops symptoms is urged to call their health care provider by phone rather than walking into a clinic or emergency room unannounced, since measles is highly contagious.
Ohio's Case Count Keeps Climbing
The Akron exposure notice lands amid a broader statewide surge. Ohio health officials reported 260 confirmed measles cases across 24 counties as of Oct. 22, per the Dispatch's report. That tally is 477% greater than the 45 cases the state recorded in all of 2025, though the paper notes the growth has slowed somewhat, with eight new cases reported in the most recent week — a 66% drop from the 24 new cases logged the week before. The vast majority of Ohio's cases this year have been among people who were not vaccinated, the outlet reports.
The current outbreak marks a sharp reversal from recent years. Ohio recorded just one measles case in 2023 and 90 in 2022, when an outbreak centered in central Ohio totaled 85 cases, according to the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Two doses of the MMR vaccine remain 97% effective against measles, the Ohio Department of Health reports via the Dispatch.
Similar Warnings Beyond Ohio
Akron isn't the only place dealing with a hospital-linked measles scare this month. Penn State Health notified the public of potential exposures at Lancaster Medical Center and Golisano Children's Hospital in Hershey, Pennsylvania, after an individual tested positive for measles and may have exposed others at both facilities. One exposure window ran from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Oct. 19 in the Pediatric Perianesthesia Unit, while a second spanned the Main Lobby and sixth-floor lobby between 3:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 21. Penn State Health likewise emphasized that two vaccine doses provide 97% lifetime protection against the virus.
