Child under 18 is Harris County's first case of measles since 2019, health officials say

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County has reported its first case of measles since 2019, according to health officials.

On Thursday, Harris County Public Health shared it is investigating a measles case involving a child under 18 who lives in northwest Harris County.

According to health officials, the child, whose identity will not be revealed, has no travel history.

HCPH is awaiting secondary confirmation of the case by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

HCPH is simultaneously conducting a thorough contact tracing investigation to identify any individuals who may have been in close contact with the child.

The child is partially vaccinated, meaning they completed one dose of a two-dose series.

According to Dr. Ericka Brown with HCPH, the child is OK, wasn't hospitalized and has since recovered. Officials also said there isn't current concern that measles would become more widespread in Harris County because of higher vaccination rates in the area.

"Harris County has a 94% immunization rate, and the CDC recommends to have herd immunity and what that is, is immunity where most of the community is not going to get infected with infectious diseases is at 95%," Brown said. "There is a certain percentage, even when vaccinated, who still may have breakthrough infection, because nothing is 100% but we feel comfortable that we are very well protected in the county."

Still, the best recommendation, doctors said, is to be vaccinated, even if there are breakthrough cases.

Measles is an airborne virus that lives in the nose and throat of an infected person. It can spread through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms of measles include a high fever, runny nose, cough, red-watery eyes and a sore throat followed by a rash breakout 3-5 days after symptoms begin.

Measles is highly contagious, and if one person has it, nine out of 10 people around that person will also become infected if they're not yet vaccinated. About one in four people who get measles will be hospitalized.

Brown said her primary concern is for the unvaccinated and for children who are too young to get the shots, such as those under one year of age.

The first dose of the measles vaccine is given to children between 12 through 15 months of age. The second dose is usually given between 4 through 6 years old.

If you think you've been exposed to someone with measles, Brown says the recommendation is to quarantine and monitor yourself for 21 days from the date of exposure.

The last confirmed case of measles in the county was in 2019, in which four individuals were treated.

Amidst the outbreak in Texas, as of April 1, DSHS has reported 422 measles across the state.

Brown said health officials aren't recommending the public wear masks because that would require an N95, in which a person must be properly fitted.

Meanwhile, a new report says the measles vaccination rate in the U.S. may be lower than expected. It found nearly a third of children didn't get their first shot on schedule.

In 2024, nearly 69% of kids had received their first dose by the recommended age of 15 months.

In 2020, that rate was 77%. Only 80% of children had received two doses of the vaccine by the time they turned six.