Measles case confirmed in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania – NBC10 Philadelphia

Officials confirmed a measles case in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Montgomery County officials confirmed the case on Sunday, March 2, 2025, and said it was related to an unvaccinated child. They are completing contact tracing and notifying anyone who was potentially exposed to determine their vaccination status and risk for infection.

The child visited the following locations at the following times during their infectious period:

• February 25-26, 2025
  China Airlines Airport Shuttle Bus
  Departing JFK Airport Terminal 4, arriving at North Philadelphia, Pho Ha Saigon, 757 Adams Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19120
  From February 25 at 9:30 p.m. to February 26 at 3:15 a.m.
   
• February 26, 2025
  True North Pediatrics Associates of Plymouth
  3031 Walton Rd., #C101, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
  11:45. a.m. – 2:15 p.m.
   
• February 26, 2025
  CHOP King of Prussia Campus Emergency Department
  550 S. Goddard Boulevard, King of Prussia, PA 19406
  12:52 p.m. – 3:02 p.m.

Officials will provide details on any other locations that the child may have visited during their infectious period.

On Friday, Feb. 28, the Pennsylvania Department of Health told NBC10 there was one confirmed measles case in Pennsylvania. The DOH said the case is related to international travel and not a domestic outbreak. Officials have not yet confirmed if that case is the same one that Montgomery County officials confirmed on Sunday.

There were four total measles cases in Pennsylvania in 2024.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control, two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective against measles. The DOH told NBC10 there is no immediate risk to the general public at this time and 94% of all Pennsylvania residents are vaccinated against the measles virus.

Information about measles

Measles is an extremely contagious virus that lives in the mucus membranes of the nose and throat of infected people, according to health experts. The virus can be transmitted from person to person through coughing and sneezing.

When an infected person sneezes or coughs, droplets spray into the air and those droplets can contain an active and contagious virus which will remain in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours. A healthy person can also be infected with the measles if they breathe the contaminated air or touch an infected surface and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.

Measles symptoms

Measles normally begin with a fever (100.4° or higher) that lasts for several days. That’s followed by a cough, runny nose and watery eyes.

Two to three days after the symptoms begin, tiny white spots may appear in the mouth. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a flat red spotted rash appears on the face at the hairline and spreads downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. The flat red spots may also be joined by small, raised bumps.

Symptoms appear about seven to 14 days on average after exposure but can last as long as 21 days.

How to prevent measles

Measles is preventable with two doses of the MMR vaccine which is available at your local health care provider or pharmacy. If you have any questions about the measles and preventing it, call the Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) at 610-278-5117. You can also find more information about the measles here and information about the MMR vaccine here.

What to do if you believe you were exposed to the measles

Review your immunization and medical records to determine if you are protected against measles.

Consult with your health care provider about receiving the MMR vaccine if you have not had measles infection or received the measles shot previously.

Contact and notify your health care provider as soon as possible about a potential exposure if you are pregnant, have a child under the age of 1, have a weakened immune system and/or are not vaccinated.

Monitor yourself for illness and fever and an unexplained rash, cough, congestion, runny nose or watery eyes from 7 days to 21 days after your exposure. If symptoms develop, stay home and call a health care provider immediately.

If you believe you or your child have the measles and wish to seek care, call your health care provider, urgent care or hospital emergency room before leaving your home or contact the Montgomery County Office of Public Health at 610-278-5117 to facilitate a safe visit and reduce exposure to staff members and other patients. Health care providers should report suspected measles cases immediately to the Office of Public Health at 610-278-5117 or after hours at 610-635-4300.

People who are immune to the measles

The following people are immune to the measles:

• People who were born in 1957 or earlier
• People who have had two doses of the MMR vaccine
• People who have had the measles

People who are vulnerable to the measles

• Babies who are too young to have received the vaccine (less than a year of age)
• Children who are only partially vaccinated (less than 6-years-old)
• People who were vaccinated with an inactivated or unknown type of vaccine which was used from 1963 through 1967 and have not been revaccinated
• People born after 1957 who have only received one dose of vaccine
• People who have refused vaccination
• People from areas of the world where there is low vaccine coverage or currently circulating measles
• Immune-compromised people such as organ transplant recipient, people receiving chemotherapy or people living with HIV/AIDS

Measles outbreak in Texas

Last week, the U.S. registered its first death from measles since 2025 as a child who wasn’t vaccinated died in a measles outbreak in rural West Texas.

Normally, most U.S. cases are brought into the country by people who have traveled overseas. So far, Texas state officials have reported 124 cases. New Mexico has reported nine.

Experts point to declining measles vaccination rates worldwide since the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, most states now are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners — the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.

Britain reported 2,911 confirmed measles cases in 2024, the highest number of cases recorded annually, since 2012.

Measles cases in the United States last year were nearly double the total for all of 2023, raising concerns about the preventable, once-common childhood virus. Health officials confirmed measles cases in at least 18 states in 2024, including in New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago.