Health officials have confirmed a case of measles in a resident of Los Angeles County who recently returned from Texas. This Texas outbreak is one of the most severe in years, leading to the deaths of two unvaccinated school-aged children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported these tragic deaths in their latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
This latest case marks the third reported instance of measles in Los Angeles County this year. Earlier cases included a traveler who tested positive after flying through Los Angeles International Airport from Taipei, Taiwan, and another case involving a non-resident arriving from Seoul on a Korean Air flight. Officials stated that the recent traveler was not contagious during their flight.
Authorities are now working to identify anyone who might have been exposed to the virus while the infected individual was contagious. Measles symptoms typically start with a high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash that begins on the face and spreads across the body.
Measles is highly contagious and can remain in the air and on surfaces for hours, posing a risk to those who are not vaccinated. People can spread the virus from four days before the rash appears until four days after. Those who have not been immunized are particularly vulnerable, with the risk of infection occurring between seven and 21 days after exposure.
The CDC has identified ten measles outbreaks across the country, with the largest linked to a community in Texas with low vaccination rates. This outbreak has spread to New Mexico and Oklahoma and is suspected to be connected to cases in Kansas. A growing outbreak in Chihuahua, Mexico, is also under investigation after a resident contracted the virus following a visit to Texas.
So far this year, there have been 884 confirmed measles cases in the U.S., marking the second-highest annual total in 25 years. The median age of those infected is eight years old, with about one-third of cases involving children younger than five. A staggering 96% of those infected were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination statuses.
In California, nine measles cases have been reported this year, with additional cases in counties such as Orange, Riverside, and Fresno. Last year, California recorded 15 cases, while only four were reported in 2023. The state’s worst outbreak occurred between December 2014 and April 2015 at Disneyland, resulting in 131 infections.
California has made efforts to boost vaccination rates, especially after the Disneyland outbreak. Currently, 96.2% of kindergartners in the state are vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella, slightly down from 96.5% the previous year. Public health experts recommend a vaccination rate of at least 95% to prevent outbreaks.
As measles cases continue to rise, pediatricians are intensifying efforts to counter misinformation about the disease and the vaccine. The American Academy of Pediatrics has reiterated the safety and effectiveness of the measles vaccine, emphasizing that extensive research supports its role in preventing serious illness and death related to measles.