What The First Measles Case in Tarrant County Means for Your Child
Tarrant County Public Health has confirmed the first case of measles in the area since 2015.
This is the fourth case of measles confirmed in North Texas this year and the fourteenth in the state. Health officials say the patient recently traveled internationally to an area that has seen an uptick in measles and this case is not related to any previous infections reported in North Texas.
“This is an important case to take note of because we already know that Tarrant County is a hot spot for potential outbreaks of diseases like the measles,” said Jason Terk, M.D, a Cook Children’s pediatrician and a nationally known advocate for vaccines. “Even though this is an imported case, we are more likely to have a wider outbreak of measles in our area because of the number of unvaccinated people and especially the people who are unvaccinated and live in unvaccinated clusters.”
Currently, there are no recommendations for early vaccination for babies who are not traveling to other countries.
"The scale of the problem is vastly different in other countries than these scattered cases here," Dr. Terk said. "Right now, and always, people need to make decisions based upon a thoughtful conversation with their doctor. We are seeing a signal of the problem we have been warning about. Even in the larger outbreaks in places like Washington, there are no recommendations for early vaccination for babies under 12 months of age. The health department follows this closely and will make formal recommendations if needed for any changes in vaccine schedule."
Peter Hotez, M.D., who is director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, co-authored a study in 2018 on vaccine exemptions published by the Public Library of Science Journal of Medicine.
Texas is one of 18 states that allows non-medical exemptions for vaccines and the report named Tarrant County and Fort Worth specifically as national “hot spots” for a potential outbreak.
In an editorial in the Star-Telegram, Dr. Hotez urged parents to provide immunization for their children, warning that “we are extremely vulnerable to a measles outbreak in Texas.”
Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention thanks to a highly effective vaccination program.
But as more parents are refusing vaccines for their children, despite scientific proof that they are safe and effective, measles has made a comeback. The CDC reports that there are more than 260 measles cases in 12 states with exemption rates continuing to rise.
Earlier this week, Collin County confirmed its second case of measles and Denton County confirmed a case in February.
Measles is an airborne disease spread by coughing and sneezing. It causes a reddish rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. It usually lasts one to two weeks. The rash begins on the face and head and then proceeds downward and outward to the hands and feet. It fades in the same order it began, from head to feet.
Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease. Adults who have received a measles vaccine series are considered immune. Those who have not been immunized against measles, or have never had measles, should contact their healthcare provider. Residents considering foreign travel should always check their health status beforehand.
Most people born in 1957 or after should have documentation of at least one dose of MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine or other evidence of immunity to measles. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two doses of the vaccine. The first dose should be given at 12 months of age and the second between the ages of 4 to 6 years.
Pediatricians Remember Experience with Measles
Two Cook Children's pediatricians explain why the anti-vaccine movement is especially difficult to understand.
“I have lived through the era where I’ve seen vaccines come and save children’s lives. I have stood in line to get the polio vaccine,” said Britt Nelson, M.D.. “I grew up with a great deal of anxiety about all of these diseases. That’s the piece that is missing in our society now, no one is anxious about these diseases.”