An unvaccinated child tested positive for measles in Polk County, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday. NCDHHS said the child visited locations in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, linked to a large ongoing measles outbreak in upstate South Carolina. Other WRAL Top Stories The child developed symptoms of measles before Christmas and has since recovered. The state is not releasing any other information about the child to protect the family’s privacy. NCDHHS has been in communication with the South Carolina Department of Public Health since the beginning of their measles response. This is the second measles case recorded in North Carolina this year and the first believed to be related to the South Carolina outbreak. North Carolina’s first measles case this year involved an international traveler in June. CDC data found that 96% of the 2,000 reported measles cases in 2025 were in children who were not fully vaccinated, with the majority being under 19. Experts say parents should be concerned if their children are not immunized. “Given a standard elementary school classroom, we need for 95% of those children to have those preformed antibodies against measles from their safe and effective vaccines so that outbreaks don't happen,” said Dr. Lori Langdon, the clinical chair of pediatrics at Campbell University. Current state data tracking kindergarten vaccinations shows only 46 of the state’s 100 counties are at or above 95%. Measles particles from just one cough can stay in the air for up to 2 hours – making the virus highly contagious long after the infected person leaves a room. “Our immune systems have a memory – that’s so cool – until measles comes along and wipes out that memory,” Langdon said. “It’s the immune amnesia that increases the risk for these secondary and sometimes life-threatening bacterial infections.” Measles can be fatal, causing things like pneumonia and brain swelling -- but TWO doses of the MMR vaccine can provide 97% lifetime protection. Langdon says misinformation is driving low numbers. She is encouraging parents to trust licensed clinicians. “Vaccines do not cause autism. Vaccines do not cause SIDS,” she continued. “We pediatricians are very compassionate and understanding about how concerned parents are about vaccine safety, but we also want to reassure them that vaccines are extraordinarily safe and extraordinarily effective. They save children's lives.” NCDHHS recommends people 1 year and older receive a measles vaccination to protect themselves and those around them. “Getting vaccinated against measles continues to be the most important step we can take to protect ourselves and our loved ones,” said NCDHHS State Epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore in a news release. “It is important to check with your health care provider to ensure you are current with all your vaccines.”    Related: How to protect yourself from measles in NC