Fort Bend County’s first reported measles case was announced Monday involving an adult female between 50 to 60 years old, underscoring immunization expert Dr. Peter Hotez’s recent warning that the virus would continue spreading throughout Texas until everyone gets infected or everyone gets vaccinated.
About 400 measles cases have been identified in Texas since late January, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Forty-one patients have been hospitalized and one school-age child died. Most cases have been in the South Plains and Panhandle regions of west Texas and most are reported in unvaccinated children. Three cases have been reported in Harris County but this is the first in Fort Bend.
It was not known whether the Fort Bend County woman was vaccinated, only that she had recently traveled internationally. Hotez has said previously that most people born prior to 1957 are immune because measles was so pervasive at that time. Many who were born after 1957 had to have at least one dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to enter school.
A nationwide panic over vaccines occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hotez has said, prompting what he maintains is a politically-motivated anti-vax campaign. Bills are currently pending in the state legislature to allow families to have a choice when it comes to child vaccination. Exemptions already are granted for personal beliefs, military service, or if a health provider deems it unsafe.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus. Symptoms include a high fever, cough runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a rash. Fort Bend County Judge KP George encouraged residents to get vaccinated “if necessary.”
“I want to reassure our community that we are working closely with Health and Human Services to keep everyone informed,” he said in a public statement. “Your safety and well-being remain my top priority. I urge all residents to check their immunization records, get vaccinated if necessary and stay vigilant for symptoms. Together, we can protect our families, neighbors and the greater Fort Bend community.”
Contact tracing, a practice by which health professionals quickly identify, assess and manage individuals potentially exposed to someone with measles to prevent further transmission, has proved impossible in endemic areas like West Texas but could be potentially useful in Fort Bend County, county officials said in a press release.
“We want to reassure residents that our public health team is actively conducting case investigations and notifying potential contacts,” Dr. Letosha Gale-Lowe, director and local health authority of Fort Bend County Health & Human Services, said in a statement. “The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is through vaccination. The MMR vaccine is safe, effective and provides strong protection against measles.”
