State health officials are encouraging parents to make sure their children are up to date on their vaccines.

The plea comes amid a measles outbreak in central Kentucky.

More in tonight's medical news.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services says five new cases have been confirmed in recent days.

Three of those cases are in Woodford County and has now spread to Fayette County, where there is one confirmed case.

Another unrelated case was reported in Todd County.

This brings the total number of measles cases in Kentucky this year to seven.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus.

These new cases in Kentucky are occurring during the largest outbreak of measles in the U.S. since it was declared eliminated 25 years ago.

Earlier today, our Christy Dutton spoke with Doctor Stephen Stack, who as of today is the secretary of Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services, about a decline in vaccination rates in the state.

The most important message I think, that the public in Kentucky needs to hear is please get vaccinated.

The measles vaccine has been used since 1967.

It's been used in billions of people around the world with great success and near total safety.

There is no meaningful risk to getting the measles mumps rubella vaccine, and it is 97% effective if you get two doses for preventing you from entirely getting the disease at all.

So it is one of the most effective vaccines we've ever developed.

If you have had two doses of immunization for measles, through the measles, mumps rubella vaccine, you do not have to worry about measles.

You would for the rest of your life.

For the rest of your life, you would be an outlier.

It could happen.

But.

But functionally, 97% protection is pretty doggone exceptional.

So if you have two doses of measles, mumps, rubella vaccine in your background, or if you are essentially the age of 70 or older, roughly, I'm rounding that up slightly because people before the vaccine was introduced, measles was spreading rampantly.

And so people are felt if they're 70 or older, to have been exposed to it or probably had it when they were younger.

And so to be immune.

So two doses of immunization or 70 or older, you don't have to worry about measles.

You should be good.

And if you were to get it, it should be incredibly mild because the immunization or the protection would make it very last.

Now if you are an adult and you have major medical concerns, you'd have heart disease, lung disease, asthma, but you're actively being treated for cancer, things like that.

You may want to consider getting measles, mumps, rubella booster.

It won't harm you in any way and it'll boost your immune system.

But generally, no one is recommended to ever need more than one booster as an adult.

So right now, because measles unfortunately appears to be on the, resurgence, it may be good for some adults to consider if they are medically vulnerable to get a booster shot.

But the vast majority of us who have had two doses don't need to worry about it.

The one exception to that would be the CDC has recommended that people traveling internationally should go get a booster if they're an adult, because measles is a is even more common internationally at this point and in a number of countries than it is in the United States.

So your risk of getting exposure is higher.

So getting that booster really lowers your risk to about as close to zero as you can get it.

Okay.

Well with a vaccine so effective we are seeing immunization rates decline in Kentucky.

What do you make of that and what other problems could that cause?

I think it's really tragic that there's this counter-narrative about vaccines safety and vaccine effectiveness.

And it's really sad to me that that there's a number of individuals in positions of leadership who are confusing the American people and confusing Kentuckians for an extension of that.

Vaccines are safe.

Vaccines do not cause autism.

Vaccines greatly reduce your risk.

But vast majority of diseases they are used for so that you don't end up in the hospital so you don't have complications.

And in the worst case, so you don't end up dead.

Those immunizations are essential.

And now there has been an outright assault on immunizations in the United States.

So we have now created confusion within normal structure for review and approval of vaccines.

That happens at the federal level.

We have cast doubt in parents minds about, well, what should I be doing?

Is this the right thing or not?

Let me assure you, Christy, I'm confident that for parents, their children are the most important thing in their lives.

There is virtually nothing they wouldn't do to work for the safety and security of their children.

I think our citizens are just trying to do the best they can to do what they think is right for kids, and what's happening is people in responsible positions are irresponsibly creating doubt and confusion, and parents don't honestly know what to think.

Sometimes, let's put it in proper perspective.

Well over 85% of every person in the United States is is immunized.

This is not like a close friend.

The vast super majority of Americans understand that medical science will help keep them safe if they follow the guidance by properly educating trained healthcare professionals.

So I urge all parents to get their children immunized.

And for adults who have other immunizations that are recommended to be open to getting those immunizations, and if they have any questions, please ask your personal physician.

They're there to help you, and they'll be able to answer your questions.

Everybody should feel confident that they're doing what's right for their health.

Doctor Stephen Stack, as of today, the secretary for the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services, thank you so much for your time and expertise.

Thanks for if you have a great day.

And thank you, Christy.

Doctor stack also says patients in this most recent outbreak are recovering well and have been able to avoid hospitalization.

He takes over as secretary for the cabinet for.

I'm Eric Friedlander, who retired last month, and doctor Jan John Langfelder has been named Kentucky's new commissioner for public health.