Get vaccinated: NJ health official issues warning amid U.S. measles surge

No outbreak has been reported in New Jersey, but vaccination rates remain below the level needed to prevent the highly contagious virus from spreading.

New Jersey’s top health official is urging families to check their vaccination records as the United States experiences its largest measles outbreak in decades and neighboring Pennsylvania reports the country’s first measles deaths of the year.

No active measles outbreak has been reported in New Jersey. But State Health Commissioner Raynard Washington has warned that the virus could spread quickly if introduced into communities where too few people are vaccinated.

The United States has recorded 2,999 measles cases this year through Aug. 26, according to the Johns Hopkins University measles tracker. Of those, 387 were reported during the past two weeks ending Aug. 28.

Pennsylvania has reported 393 cases across 28 counties and two deaths among unvaccinated people, according to state health officials. They were Pennsylvania’s first measles deaths in 35 years and the first reported in the United States this year.

“While New Jersey is not experiencing a measles outbreak, we must remain vigilant,” Washington said.

About two weeks before Washington’s warning, Linda Schwimmer, president of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, sounded the alarm about the declining percentage of New Jersey children meeting state immunization requirements overall.

Statewide, compliance fell to 91.3% during the 2024-25 school year, its lowest point in the eight years of data available. It was the second consecutive year of decline.

“This is a troubling trend that, if it continues, will inevitably lead to outbreaks and harm,” Schwimmer wrote.

Compliance has declined in every county since the 2017-18 school year, with decreases ranging from about 1 percentage point to nearly 11 percentage points.

Ocean County’s rate fell from 94% in 2017-18 to 83.2% in 2024-25, a decline of nearly 11 percentage points. Monmouth, Gloucester, Atlantic, and Cape May counties also experienced sustained declines, a pattern Schwimmer said was consistent with more families opting out.

The decline is accelerating across much of the state. Nineteen of New Jersey’s 21 counties recorded decreases in 2023-24, and 16 declined again in 2024-25. Fourteen counties experienced declines in both years.

Statewide, the compliance rate fell by 2 percentage points over those two years.

Why measles is so dangerous

Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, and the virus can remain in the air for as long as two hours after that person leaves a room.

People can spread measles for four days before developing its distinctive rash and for four days afterward, making it possible for someone who does not know they are sick to expose others.

The illness typically begins with a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. A rash usually appears three to five days later, beginning near the hairline and spreading downward.

Some patients develop serious complications, including pneumonia, hearing loss, diarrhea, or encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain that can cause permanent damage. Between one and three of every 1,000 people who contract measles die from the disease, according to the state Department of Health.

Most of the measles cases recorded nationally have involved people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins.

Two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles. Public health officials generally aim for vaccination rates of at least 95%, which makes it difficult for the virus to spread and helps protect babies, people with cancer, and others who cannot be vaccinated.

New Jersey remains below that threshold. Fewer than 95% of the state’s kindergarten students have received the recommended vaccines, Washington said. Separate federal data show that about 92% of New Jersey children have received at least one dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine by age 2, compared with 91.4% nationally.

Children should ordinarily receive their first dose between 12 and 15 months and a second dose between the ages of 4 and 6. Infants 6 to 11 months old who will travel internationally should receive an early dose, followed by two more doses after their first birthday.

Adults without evidence of immunity generally should receive at least one dose. College students, health care workers, international travelers, and some other adults at increased risk may need two.

Washington urged residents to check their records through their health care providers, the Docket mobile application, or the state’s myHealthNJ portal. Free or reduced-cost vaccinations are available to eligible children and uninsured adults through community health centers and local health departments.

Anyone who suspects that they or their child has measles should call a health care provider or local health department before visiting a medical office or emergency department. Calling first allows health workers to arrange care while limiting other patients’ exposure, officials said.