The Houston Health Department said [last] Friday it has identified two cases of measles in adults who’ve recently traveled internationally, the first cases in Houston since 2018.
The adults live in the same household, and it’s unknown whether they’re up to date on the vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella, the health department said.
Health officials are still investigating and performing contact tracing to identify anyone else who may have been exposed, the health department said.
“Measles is a serious but entirely preventable disease,” Dr. David Persse, the health authority for the city of Houston, said in a news release. “Vaccination is the best tool we have to protect individuals and the broader community from this highly contagious illness. Ensuring your immunizations are up to date is critical, especially in light of these recent cases.”
The health department said it will provide information about any locations, dates and times where anyone might have been exposed to measles on its website.
[…]
One in five unvaccinated people who are infected will need to be hospitalized, and one in 20 children will develop pneumonia, according to the CDC. In rare cases it can cause encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain that can lead to convulsions that could cause deafness or an intellectual disability.
“It’s not just a fever and a rash,” said Dr. Sapna Singh, the chief medical officer of Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “There are significant complications, including the need for hospitalization.”
Sure hope the isolation prevents any further spread. I’ve been thinking I should see about getting boosters for the vaccines I got in childhood, just in case. Just feels like there’s less margin for error these days.