Measles in Miami: School reports Florida's first measles case in 2025 amid U.S. outbreak
A student at Miami-Palmetto High School is the first person in Florida confirmed to have measles, the highly contagious respiratory disease.
- Florida confirmed its first measles case of 2025 in Miami-Dade County.
- The case involves a student at Miami Palmetto Senior High School.
- This case is part of a larger measles outbreak across the United States.
- Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo encourages parents to consult with medical professionals about the measles vaccine.
Florida has confirmed its first measles case of 2025, two counties south of Palm Beach.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools reported Tuesday that a student at Miami Palmetto Senior High School has contracted the highly contagious respiratory illness, according to multiple published reports.
The report comes amid an outbreak of measles in nine other states, including nearly 160 cases in Texas since January. As of February 27, measles cases had also been reported in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Rhode Island, according to the federal Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
Palm Beach County has not reported any measles cases as of Thursday morning.
Florida surgeon general: Measles vaccinations require parents' consent
Measles can cause threaten the life of anyone who is not protected against the virus. It can be transmitted through direct contact with infectious droplets, and can be spread by air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes.
In Texas, a school-age child died in February, marking the first measles-related death in the United States since 2015. The child had not been vaccinated against measles, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported.
The department has reported 159 cases statewide since late January. The majority have involved children, with 127 cases involving patients under 18, Texas state health officials reported.
During a news conference Wednesday in Tampa, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said state officials have talked with school officials in Miami about the Florida case. The state has provided information about options available to parents, Ladapo said.
He noted that measles vaccines are available for children, but added that decisions about whether to give a child the vaccine, or whether to send an unvaccinated child to school, should be left to parents.
"There may be more cases and we'll continue providing education and resources," Ladapo said.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a vaccinate skeptic, expresses support for measles shot
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in a statement Monday that he was "deeply concerned" about the recent outbreak in Texas. Kennedy, who has expressed skepticism about vaccines in the past, said the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is a crucial factor in avoiding the disease.
"Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons" Kennedy wrote in his statement
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.