Amanda Purcell is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media although the measles epidemic has not touched Columbia and Greene counties, health officials are reminding residents to get vaccinated. The Communicable Disease Unit of the Columbia County Health Department reported this week the county is measles-free, and the department has the MMR vaccine available. Two vaccinations, delivered one month apart, are recommended for immunity. The department offers immunization clinics every Tuesday in Hudson, by appointment. William Van Slyke, spokesman for Columbia Memorial Hospital, said there have been no reported cases of measles at the hospital. “Nevertheless, our team has been focusing on preparedness in the event that a case does come to us we will be ready to not only protect that individual, but also the community,” he said. Measles was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000 but the disease has returned in recent years in communities with low vaccination rates. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.