Measles is spreading in Middle Georgia. Families deserve to hear about it fast and to be able to protect themselves for free. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) must open free, walk-in measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine clinics in the affected area and send out exposure alerts as soon as a public site is confirmed.

State health officials say a person with measles spent three hours at a Longhorn Steakhouse in Perry on the evening of October 7. Anyone who ate or worked there that night may have been exposed. In a separate case, an unvaccinated Macon County resident has been diagnosed, bringing Georgia to 22 measles cases so far in 2026.

Measles is highly contagious. It travels through the air, and the virus can stay in a room for up to two hours after a sick person leaves. Symptoms can take up to three weeks to show up, so people can spread it before they know they have it.

The people most at risk are the ones who can’t protect themselves: babies too young for the vaccine and people with weak immune systems. For them, even a few days’ delay can matter.

Georgia DPH can act now. Free clinics take cost out of the picture for working families. Fast text and social media alerts give people time to check their records, watch for symptoms and call their doctor before going in.

No family should find out about an exposure too late. Sign the petition to demand free MMR clinics and faster alerts before measles spreads further.