Unvaccinated child has confirmed case of measles in Stanislaus County, officials say
STANISLAUS COUNTY – An unvaccinated Central Valley child has a confirmed case of measles, health officials say.
Stanislaus County Public Health announced the confirmed case on Thursday.
The child had recently traveled out the country, but health officials didn't reveal exactly where. While relatively rare in the US, confirmed cases are often traced back to other parts of the world where measles is still present.
Officials noted that all known public exposures related to this new case have occurred in healthcare settings.
No information has been released about the condition of the child, but officials are urging caution due to the danger and highly contagious nature of the disease.
"Unfortunately, it can cause serious health complications in some people. The best way to protect yourself and your family against measles is by getting vaccinated," said Dr. Thea Papasozomenos, Stanislaus County Public Health Officer, in a statement.
Earlier in March, health officials announced that an El Dorado County child had also been confirmed with a case of measles. That child had also apparently contracted it after a trip out of the country.
Measles cases on the rise across the US
At least 59 confirmed or suspected measles cases have been recorded across 17 states in 2024, already bigger than the number of cases reported in the US in all of 2023.
Like the California cases, health officials believe most of the current year measles outbreaks are being tracked back to unvaccinated travelers.
