HOUSTON (AP) – Health officials say five cases of measles have been confirmed in southern Texas, including four children under the age of 2.
The cases, which were announced Monday, include three in the Houston area, one in Galveston County and one in Montgomery County. A possible sixth case in Texas is awaiting lab confirmation. The announcements come as a measles outbreak hits the Pacific Northwest, where more than 50 cases have been confirmed.
Officials urge vaccinations for the contagious virus, which was eradicated in the U.S. in 2000 as a result of immunization but arrives periodically with overseas travelers. The Houston Chronicle reports health officials were told the four children who fell ill had received their first of two measles vaccines. The second is given between the ages of 4 and 6.
