2 new measles cases linked to infected child in northeast New Jersey
Health officials said people who were exposed could develop symptoms until as late as March 6.
BERGEN COUNTY, New Jersey (WPVI) -- New Jersey health officials say there are two new measles cases linked to a child in Bergen County who recently traveled abroad.
The new cases are linked to a third patient -- a child -- who was confirmed to have the viral infection earlier this month. All three patients were unvaccinated, according to our sister station WABC.
An unvaccinated Bergen County resident developed a rash on February 9 and was confirmed to have measles via positive measles PCR results. While infectious, the individual visited three healthcare facilities, potentially exposing others during the dates and times listed:
- 2/8/2025, 12:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. PromptMD Urgent Care, 2059 Hudson Street, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
- 2/9/2025, 11:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. Englewood Hospital Emergency Department, 350 Engle Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
- 2/9/2025, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Hackensack University Medical Center, 30 Prospect Avenue Hackensack, NJ 07601
The New Jersey Department of Health recommends that anyone who visited those locations during the specified dates and times to contact a health care provider immediately.
Health officials said people who were exposed could develop symptoms until as late as March 6.
Vaccination rates statewide continue to fall below the level that is necessary to protect communities, per the state health department.
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This comes after the CDC confirmed the first measles death in the country in a decade.
That young patient lived in West Texas and was also unvaccinated. The school-aged child had been hospitalized and died Tuesday night amid the widespread outbreak, Texas' largest in nearly 30 years.
Since it began last month, a rash of 124 cases has erupted across nine counties.
Health officials have been urging anyone who isn't vaccinated to receive the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The CDC currently recommends people receive two vaccine doses, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective. Most vaccinated adults don't need a booster.
Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, due to the highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. However, vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.
About 93% of kindergarteners nationwide received select routine childhood vaccines, including the MMR vaccine, for the 2022-23 school year, according to a November 2023 CDC report.
This is about the same as the previous school year, but lower than the 94% seen in the 2020-22021 school year and the 95% seen in the 2019-2020 school year, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The latter percentage had been the standard for about 10 years.
ABC News contributed to this report.
