Second Infant Measles Case Reported in Orange County This Year

A baby in Orange County, California contracted measles in 2026 after traveling internationally before falling ill. It is at least the state's second infant case of measles so far this year. Officials in San Francisco reported last month that a baby under 1 year old had been infected with measles, and both the San Francisco and Orange County infants traveled internationally before falling ill.

Orange County reported a confirmed measles case in a toddler in January 2026. U.S.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In babies, the measles virus can also cause a rare condition called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, or SSPE. The risk of developing SSPE is as high as 1 in every 600 children who are infected with measles as babies.

A. A. County health officials said. There is no cure for SSPE. So far this year, 1,814 measles cases have been confirmed nationwide, including 48 measles cases confirmed in California, according to the CDC.

The national measles count this year is fast approaching the 2,288 cases documented all of last year. Before last year, the highest national annual measles caseload in recent memory was 2,126 infections in 1992. Three people have died since measles began to surge nationwide last year.

Two of the measles deaths were unvaccinated school-age children in Texas who had no underlying medical conditions. One of the measles deaths was an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico. U.S. had seen only three total measles deaths over the preceding quarter-century combined.

A 28-year-old immunocompromised adult died of measles in 2015. U.S.

Resulted in a patient needing to be hospitalized. Nationally, 92% of confirmed measles cases so far this year have been individuals who were unvaccinated or whose vaccine status was unknown. An additional 4% of confirmed measles cases so far this year had received just one of the two recommended MMR doses.

One dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective at preventing measles. It is typically recommended that parents get their babies a first dose of the MMR vaccine when they are 12 to 15 months old, and follow with a second dose between 4 to 6 years of age.

Infants younger than 6 months cannot get the vaccine. The CDC recommends vaccinating infants between 6 and 11 months old if they are traveling internationally or at risk of measles exposure during an outbreak. In those cases, the baby will still need to follow up with the standard two-dose series later.

The CDC and California Department of Public Health also recommend that everyone 12 months or older receive two doses of the measles vaccine before traveling internationally. U.S. this year, it is reasonable for California parents to talk with their pediatrician about getting their babies vaccinated earlier than usual, even if there are no plans for international travel.

Dr. " Dr. Peter Chin-Hong added: "It is safe and reasonable for families to discuss an early vaccination strategy with their providers. " Places where Californians could have been exposed to measles so far this year included Los Angeles International Airport, Disneyland, stores, restaurants, an emergency room, an urgent care center, a gym and an educational enrichment program for children.