The Harris County health department said Thursday it’s investigating a reported measles case in a child with no travel history, making it the first case in the Houston area this year that is not associated with international travel.
The child has recovered and did not require hospitalization, Dr. Ericka Brown, the local health authority for Harris County Public Health, said during a Thursday night news conference.
Brown also confirmed that the child, who lives in the northwest area of Harris County, had received one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
“It’s not uncommon for some children to have one vaccine in preparation for the second,” Brown said, later adding that the MMR vaccine is usually given in two doses: the first when a child is between 12 and 15 months old, and the second after they reach 4 years old.
“There is a certain percentage that even when vaccinated, may still have breakthrough infections because nothing is 100%,” Brown said.
The Houston Health Department has reported three measles cases this year, while the health department for nearby Fort Bend County has reported one case. All four have been tied to international travel and not the ongoing outbreak in West Texas, where more than 400 cases and one death have been reported.
The case in unincorporated Harris County was confirmed by a commercial laboratory, according to Harris County Public Health, which said it was awaiting secondary confirmation from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The county health department said it’s conducting contact tracing to identify people who may have been in close contact with the child.
Brown said masks are not being recommended “because the measles virus is highly contagious and would require that everyone in the community wear an N95 mask, which has to be specifically fit for their face to get optimal protection.
“The best recommendation, as we’ve stated before, is to get vaccinated,” she added.
Harris County is close to the 95% measles vaccination rate that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says is needed for herd immunity. Brown said 94% of Harris County residents have been vaccinated for the measles.
“Of course, we always strive for 100% but Harris County is doing pretty well in terms of their vaccinations,” Brown said. “… Most people are open to receiving their vaccines, their childhood vaccines, at appropriate age. And for those who have been unsure or have not yet received their vaccines, we have seen those coming to get their vaccines.”
The last confirmed measles case in unincorporated Harris County was in 2019, when four people were infected, according to Harris County Public Health.
Before this year, the last reported measles cases in the city of Houston were in 2018.
