Residents of Murphy, Wylie and Sachse may have crossed paths with a confirmed measles case after Dallas County Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that an infected resident visited three locations in Allen, Fairview and Frisco while contagious.
DCHHS identified the exposure sites in an Aug. 25 press release:
- Turrentine Jackson Morrow Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen — Friday, Aug. 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Gloria's Restaurant, 152 Fountain Circle, Fairview — Friday, Aug. 14, 12:30 to 5 p.m.
- The Revel Patio Grill, 9305 Preston Road, Frisco — Saturday, Aug. 15, 7:45 p.m. to midnight
All three sit within a short drive of Murphy, Wylie and Sachse. This is Dallas County's first confirmed measles case of 2026. DCHHS has not released the patient's age, vaccination status or travel history.
What residents should do
DCHHS Director Dr. Philip Huang urged anyone who visited those locations during the listed windows to check their MMR vaccination records immediately.
"If you were at one of these locations during the identified time period, check your vaccination status and watch closely for symptoms … Vaccination remains our best protection against measles and the best way to prevent further spread in our community," Huang said in the press release.
Unvaccinated people who were present at any of the three sites should monitor for symptoms for 21 days after exposure. That means watching through Sept. 4 for the Aug. 14 exposures and through Sept. 5 for the Aug. 15 exposure.
Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads downward. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a space, which is why the listed time windows extend beyond the patient's actual visit.
If symptoms develop
DCHHS says anyone who develops symptoms should stay home, avoid contact with others and call a healthcare provider or emergency department before showing up. Staff need advance notice to isolate the patient and protect others in the waiting room. The department also warns against using public transit, taxis or ride-shares while potentially infectious.
Infants, pregnant people without documented immunity and those with severely weakened immune systems face the highest risk of serious complications and should contact a provider promptly if exposed.
Vaccination rates slipping
The case arrives as vaccination rates across Dallas County continue to fall. According to WFAA, about 90% of Dallas County kindergarteners received the MMR vaccine during the 2025-26 school year, below the 95% threshold health experts say is needed for community protection. In an Aug. 18 interview with WFAA, Huang called the trend concerning: "We've seen the last two years record number of measles cases we haven't seen in 30 years."
Nationally, the CDC has logged 2,566 confirmed measles cases in 2026 as of mid-August, already surpassing the full-year 2025 total of 2,289.
People are generally considered protected if they have documentation of age-appropriate MMR vaccination, lab evidence of immunity, lab confirmation of a prior infection, or were born before 1957. Residents can find more information at the DCHHS measles page.
