Measles cases reported in Ave Maria as Florida Dept. of Health withholds numbers

AVE MARIA, Fla. — As health clinics in Ave Maria report multiple measles cases, people said they are seeking testing and vaccination. The Florida Department of Health declined to say how widespread the virus is in Collier County, telling Fox 4 updated numbers will not be available until Thursday.

Multiple clinics, students and neighbors across Ave Maria who spoke to Collier County Community Correspondent Mahmoud Bennett said they know someone who has tested positive for the disease.

Despite those accounts, the Florida DOH in Collier County has released few details, even as an alert on its website confirms it is working with Ave Maria University and monitoring suspected cases.

“I actually know a lot of people who have it,” said Kate Lyons, a student at Ave Maria University.

Lyons said she knows several people who became sick, including one person who was hospitalized. But without official numbers, she said none of them know the full scope of the outbreak.

“I think we should be getting it. I’ve heard the number 11 been tossed around. We obviously don’t know if that is totally true. Is that all of them?” Lyons said.

Students said the Florida DOH has been on campus testing people and offering general guidance, but they have received limited information overall.

“I haven’t really heard much. You know the Department of Health is here and they’re kind of keeping it confidential,” said Joseph Pinho, another student.

Confidentiality is also what the Florida DOH cited when initially asked for case counts on Monday.

Then on Tuesday, the local office referred Fox 4 to the department’s online measles dashboard, which currently shows no cases in Collier County — an outdated figure last updated Jan. 24.

Local clinics have confirmed they reported at least several measles cases to the state this month. After repeated requests for updated numbers, state health officials said the website would be updated on Thursday.

“But hopefully they will release something by Thursday,” said Lorry Panacopoulos, who lives in Ave Maria.

“If they have the data, they should release it. I think it’s important — especially with something as serious as measles,” added Ross Panacopoulos.

For now, local physicians are advising people to look out for symptoms and stay cautious.

“If somebody is suspicious that they have measles — the best course is to stay home and call your primary care provider to receive further instruction,” said Anthony Musingo, a physician assistant at Mater Dei Clinic in Ave Maria.

According to the CDC, Florida has one of the lowest childhood vaccination rates in the country.

88.8% of kindergartners completed required vaccines in the 2024-2025 school year. That's a sharp drop from more than 93% a decade ago.

The vaccines protect against serious diseases like measles, polio and chickenpox.

Florida leads the southeast in vaccine exemptions — with 5% of kindergartners getting waivers. Nearly all of those exemptions are for non-medical reasons.

The decline is part of a larger trend — with vaccination rates dropping across the country.

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