More Florida measles cases prompt concern for Jacksonville doctor

DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – New measles cases in Florida prompted concern for a Jacksonville doctor as the state now has 10 confirmed cases, according to Florida Health data.

RELATED: Measles: ‘It’s not a matter of whether we will have an outbreak in Northeast Florida, it’s a matter of when’

Measles is a viral contagious infection that can be easily contracted from someone coughing and sneezing.

Children younger than five, adults younger than 20, pregnant women, and people with weaker immune systems have a higher risk of getting it.

Dr. Samidha Bhat of HCA Florida said kids typically get the virus.

“Maybe the immunity is not very well in the kids and therefore we see more in children as compared to adults,” Bhat said.

Once contracted it starts with a fever, leading to a cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Then a rash and tiny spots. Other complications can range from ear infections to brain swelling and death.

While there are not reported cases in Northeast Florida, Bhat said that not being vaccinated is a concern.

“Not being vaccinated is always a concern especially in children because they are the ones who get it from schools and all those places,” Bhat said.

News4JAX asked everyday people in Jacksonville if they were vaccinated. Although they didn’t talk on camera, some said they and their children were vaccinated while others were not.

“I was part of the 1988 measles epidemic in Northern California. I was 35 years old. I never knew I was unvaccinated. It was devastatingly life-changing. My personality changed. My liver and my brain were affected. I became jaundiced and got encephalitis. I’ve never been the same. I could go on. Please, get your children (and yourself) vaccinated,” A News4JAX Insider said.

Most Americans are vaccinated as a child so some can’t remember when it happened, but there is a way to check.

The CDC has created a questionnaire on its website to determine if you should be vaccinated for measles or not.

There’s been an effort to reduce cases in the United States through vaccinations since 1963 before it started. Millions contracted and hundreds died every year. Now the cases are in the double digits.

With the most recent Florida case this week, health officials want parents to consider getting their child(ren) vaccinated.

According to the CDC, there were:

• 58 measles cases in 2023

• 121 measles cases in 2022

• 49 measles cases in 2021

To get the MMR vaccine, you can contact the health department or your doctor.