Four students at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston now have confirmed cases of measles, the Broward School District announced in a media release Saturday.
The first case of measles was confirmed Thursday night. Three more cases have been confirmed since, according to Saturday’s release.
“The health, safety and welfare of our students and staff remain our utmost priority,” said John J. Sullivan, Chief Communications and Legislative Affairs Officer for the district, in an emailed statement Saturday. “The District continues to work closely with the Florida Department of Health – Broward following three additional confirmed measles cases at Manatee Bay Elementary School. The school’s principal is keeping families informed and following health department guidelines to safeguard our community.”
The district notified parents and families about the first measles case on Thursday evening, Sullivan said. The child is a third-grader at the school.
The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is required for students attending public schools in Florida, according to the Department of Health. The vaccine is two doses, the first dose at 12 to 15 months and the second dose at 4 to 6 years old.
It is unclear whether the students who contracted measles at Manatee Bay were vaccinated. Sullivan told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Saturday that he could not provide that information.
“It is a required series, but as with all requirements, there are exemptions for medical or religious [reasons],” he said.
About 3 in 100 people who get two doses of MMR vaccine can still get measles if exposed, according to the CDC. But the virus will be milder, and those who have it are less likely to spread it to others.
Measles was thought to be eradicated in the United States in 2000, but has recently made a comeback in some parts of the country as more Americans forego vaccination. Between Dec. 1, 2023, and Jan. 23, 2024, there have been 23 confirmed cases of measles with infections reported in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and the Washington, D.C. area., according to a CDC alert issued in January.
The first measles case at Manatee Bay was the third case in Florida within six months, according to Florida Department of Health disease surveillance. Now there are six.
Some of the recent cases could be due to missed doses of the MMR vaccine during the pandemic.
Measles is highly contagious. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said every individual infected by measles can spread it to up to 10 close contacts if they are unprotected, including not wearing a mask or not being vaccinated.
The local office of the Florida Department of Health in Broward on Friday had notified facilities and health care providers that the patient may have visited as well as individuals who may have been exposed.
About one in five people who contract measles will be hospitalized.
This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
Staff writer Cindy Goodman contributed to this report.