There has been only one case of the measles in the state, and it has not led to large numbers of people in Butler County asking their doctors about the contagious disease.

“I haven’t seen big numbers of patients coming in (asking about measles),” said Dr. Elliot Smith, a primary care physician who practices in Evans City.

Dr. Kevin Gerlach, a pediatrician with Butler Health System and Next Generation Pediatrics in Butler Township, said he has gotten a few questions from concerned parents.

“Nothing widespread,” Gerlach said.

The state Department of Health on Jan. 28 announced that a person with measles may have exposed other people to the disease in several locations in Cumberland and Franklin counties. In California, there has been an outbreak of the disease, but the case in Pennsylvania is not connected.

However, the state Department of Health suggests that all residents should be vaccinated against measles.

The vaccine is given to toddlers when they are 12 to 15 months old, and a second dose is required for all school children.

But parents of children can decline to have their children vaccinated if they have certain medical, religious or philosophical objections.

In Butler County, fewer young children have been vaccinated for measles while many more older children have been immunized.

In the 2013-14 school year, only 63 percent of children entering kindergarten in public schools had received both doses of the immunization, which is the second lowest rate in the state.

“That’s scary, isn’t it?” said Kerry Risco, a nursing professor at Slippery Rock University and a nurse practitioner in Crawford County.

However, for that same school year, nearly 98 percent of students entering seventh grade had received both doses.

To achieve “herd immunity,” which means that enough people are immunized to prevent outbreaks, Risco said that 94 percent of the population or higher needs to be vaccinated.

Smith said people who are unable to be vaccinated benefit from herd immunity. However, with a low vaccination rate and without herd immunity, they are unprotected.

“That means the people who need it would be most affected,” Smith said.

Some parents link vaccinations with children getting autism, Risco said, because symptoms of autism begin to show around the same time as the age of vaccination. She said that evidence is anecdotal at best.

“That, scientifically, has not held up,” said Risco, who herself has a child with autism.

Risco said that in one pediatric practice in Crawford County, the doctors will not see children who have not been vaccinated.

Gerlach said his office does not refuse patients who have not been immunized. He said he tries to educate parents as much as possible about the benefits and importance of the vaccines.

“We try our best,” Gerlach said.

He said that the vaccination rate has decreased during the past few years, but he said outbreaks such as this can lead to the rate going back up.

Smith said a study has shown that every dollar spent on this type of immunization saves about $15 in treatment costs.

Symptoms of the measles include a runny nose, watery eyes, cough and a high fever. After four days, a raised, red rash starts to spread on the face, down the body and out to the arms and legs. The rash usually lasts four to seven days.

Complications from measles can include ear infection, diarrhea and pneumonia, inflammation of the brain and even death. Measles also can cause miscarriages or premature delivery in pregnant women.

“Measles is a potentially very serious and highly contagious virus,” said acting Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine in a statement. “This case underscores the importance of having all children appropriately immunized according to recommended guidelines.”