Florida alerts first measles case of year in public school as experts stress vaccination

Yahoo

07-03-2025

A case of measles has been detected in Florida for the first time in 2025.
One student at Palmetto Senior High School tested positive for the disease, according to local sources and Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Superintendent Dr. Jose Dotres addressed the measles case in a news conference on Thursday, noting that the vaccine rate at the school is 99.7%.
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"Everything is very stable," he stated. "We have no other incident regarding the measles at this point."
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo also confirmed the measles case in a press conference in Tampa on Wednesday, noting that it's possible there "may be more of them."
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"Obviously, we wish the best for everyone's health," he said.
Amid remarks on a variety of topics, Ladapo acknowledged that measles is "extremely contagious." He said "it's one of the most contagious diseases around" — and confirmed that the Florida Department of Health has been in communication with the school about the case.
"We've provided information about options that parents have," he said.
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"One of those — it's very important — is communicating that their preferences and choices for their healthy kids are going to be respected," he said.
He also said, "We also have measles vaccines available … for any parent who wants them. So that option is there also, and we provide education there."
Texas, meanwhile, has reported the highest number of measles cases since January, marking 198 infected people as of Friday morning, including 23 hospitalized, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Most of the cases were detected in unvaccinated, school-aged children — which included one child who died from the disease.
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New Mexico also reported its first measles death on Thursday in an unvaccinated adult, according to state officials.
The DSHS in Texas has stated on its website that the best way to prevent sickness is to receive two doses of the vaccine against measles, "primarily administered" as the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunization.
Ladapo also mentioned using vitamin A as a treatment for measles for some people, as suggested recently by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which has proven effective in some research.
While this option can work for people who are deficient in vitamin A, according to experts, vaccination is the only way to prevent measles, as vitamin A is not an alternative.
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In a recent opinion piece for Fox News Digital, RFK Jr. noted, in part, "As healthcare providers, community leaders and policymakers, we have a shared responsibility to protect public health. This includes ensuring that accurate information about vaccine safety and efficacy is disseminated. We must engage with communities to understand their concerns, provide culturally competent education, and make vaccines readily accessible for all those who want them."
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Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, told Fox News Digital that inappropriate dosing of vitamin A can result in toxicity and a condition known as hypervitaminosis.
"Thus, people should not be administering generic vitamin A supplements purchased at a pharmacy or health food store to their children," he said.
Neil Maniar, PhD, MPH, professor of public health practice at Northeastern University, stressed that the MMR vaccine is the "most powerful tool" in preventing and controlling outbreaks.
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"It is vital that we work in partnership with communities to educate individuals and families about the importance of the MMR vaccine and ensure that this vaccine is available to all who need it," he told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out to Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Miami-Dade Public Schools, Palmetto Senior High School and the Florida Department of Health for further comment.Original article source: Florida alerts first measles case of year in public school as experts stress vaccination