JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Leaders at Baptist Health have confirmed two cases of measles involving pediatric patients in Duval County.
According to the health system, the two children, who live in the same house, visited the emergency room on the hospital’s main campus on Friday, January 16. Hospital officials say the patients were treated and sent home without being admitted.
Retired pediatrician Dr. Ronald Lindsay, who spent 40 years treating children, says the virus spreads through the air and does not require direct contact for transmission.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
“Measles is one of the clearest examples of true airborne transmission,” Dr. Lindsay said. “The virus can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left and can even travel through ventilation systems.”
Dr. Lindsay says misinformation surrounding vaccines has played a major role in the resurgence of measles cases.
“People are hearing from the internet and other unreliable sources that they shouldn’t get vaccinated, out of fear of autism or because they’re against vaccination,” he said.
Symptoms of measles include rash, fever, cough, runny nose, and bloodshot eyes. Dr. Lindsay warns that by the time cases are confirmed, additional exposures have often already occurred.
“The horse has already gotten out of the barn,” he said.
Health officials say the incubation period for measles ranges from 8 to 12 days. Anyone known to have been exposed within the last three days may benefit from receiving the MMR vaccine immediately.
There is no antiviral treatment for measles. The virus must run its course, and complications can be severe, ranging from ear infections and pneumonia to severe dehydration and, in rare cases, brain injury. About one in 1,000 children infected may suffer serious neurological damage. Children, seniors, and immunocompromised individuals are most at risk.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Dr. Lindsay says vaccination remains the most effective form of prevention.
“At 12 months of age, that’s when a child’s immune system is ready to respond properly,” he said.
Just last year, Florida recorded eight measles cases statewide. With these two confirmed cases in Duval County, the state has now reached that same total already in 2026.
In a statement to Action News Jax, Baptist Health emphasized that patient and staff safety remains a top priority.
“We have shared the names of anyone who may have been exposed with the Department of Health,” the hospital said. “The Department of Health will contact those individuals directly.”
Hospital leaders also stressed that the overall risk of infection from exposure inside the facility is very low.
“Our team of pediatric Emergency Center specialists is expertly prepared and ready to care for these children and our community,” the statement continued.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.