Cuyahoga County reports first measles cases of 2026; 'Super flu' spreads statewide
The Ohio Department of Health has confirmed the state's first measles outbreak of 2026. Three pediatric cases—and a possible fourth—have been identified in a single household in Cuyahoga County. All of the children were unvaccinated at the time of exposure.
Measles is highly contagious and spreads easily through coughing and sneezing. It is preventable, though, and health officials say two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella, or MMR, vaccine are 97 percent effective at preventing infection.
The disease can be especially serious for young children. As many as one in 20 children with measles develops pneumonia, the leading cause of measles-related deaths.
This outbreak comes as a new variant of influenza A—nicknamed the "super flu"—continues to spread nationwide. So far this flu season, more than 1,900 Ohioans have been hospitalized.
Monday on the "Sound of Ideas," we'll talk about how infectious diseases spread, the role that vaccine hesitancy is playing and what you can do to protect yourself and the people you love.
Guests:
- Amy Edwards, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University Hospitals
- Prakash Ganesh M.D., Medical Director, Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Local policy expert discusses 2026's biggest international risks
2026 is shaping up to be a complicated year, full of unexpected global policy issues, and we're only a week and a half into January.
Michael Weidokal, stops by the "Sound of Ideas" studios to discuss how he is assessing risk for the new year. Weidokal is an internationally-recognized economic and geopolitical forecaster who advises companies and leaders on issues facing the global community.
Guests:
- Michael Weidokal, President and Founder, International Strategic Analysis
When Vaudeville was celebrated in Cleveland
To close the program, we'll hear from Kabir Bhatia, our Senior Arts Reporter, who will look back at the history of Otto Moser's. Moser's was a beloved restaurant in Downtown Cleveland that not only served the public, but was a favorite haunt of many theater performers that came through Northeast Ohio.
Bhatia discusses a new book that particularly looks at the city's history at the time when Vaudeville theater was booming, and how that shaped Downtown Cleveland.
