New York State health officials issued an alert on Thursday urging people to get vaccinated after Texas Health officials announced the first death in the measles outbreak in Texas on Feb. 26, 2025, a school-aged child.
The health department said that as of February 26, the Department of Health states that up to 136 cases of measles have been confirmed between Texas, New Mexico, and New Jersey. A majority of these cases are affecting people who have not been vaccinated, including the 44 cases confirmed in Canada.
In their alert to the public, the health department advised clinicians to educate patients about the MMR vaccine, especially if the patient is considering travel.
The rise in measles cases is said to be caused by unvaccinated travelers returning to the U.S., which was seen in the Feb. 19 case of an Orange County, Calif., resident returning from Asia, according to the CDC.
Clinicians are also told to suggest an extra dose of the MMR vaccine before international travel, specifically for infants between 6 and 11 months old. The CDC urges that the most effective way to protect yourself against measles is with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Stating that MMR is safe and effective and that two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective.
The CDC warns that measles is a highly contagious disease, easily transmittable by an infected person who breathes, sneezes, or coughs.
The individuals most at risk remain children under 5 and people who are not vaccinated against the disease, though it can affect anyone. The CDC states in an official post from 2024 that if one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not vaccinated.
Measles symptoms can begin to occur 7 to 14 days after contact with the virus, based on the CDC report provided in 2024.
Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and rash. Serious health complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis can arise, especially in young children under the age of 5.
More common complications include ear infections and diarrhea. “Immune amnesia” is also a large concern, according to the health department alert.
The department describes “immune amnesia” as the resetting of the immune system, which may occur among people who have been infected with measles. The alert goes on to say that “immune amnesia” can also cause an increased susceptibility to other infectious diseases.
Apart from receiving the MMR vaccine, the health department encourages testing amongst individuals presenting with symptoms of measles and individuals who have traveled to or from areas with known outbreaks, such as Texas, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Canada.
The health department advised individuals to call their healthcare provider immediately if they think they or their child have been exposed to measles.
