Texas Health officials are dealing with an increase in cases of measles, leading them to act urgently to stop the spread of this highly contagious virus disease.
Measles – Understanding the Threat
Measles, a “highly contagious, potentially severe rash illness” (as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC), spreads through the air. According to the CDC’s estimates, 90% of those who have not been vaccinated and are exposed to this virus will develop it.
The U.S. suffered devastating results prior to the introduction the MMR (measles, rubella, and mumps) vaccine. Annual measles deaths ranged from 400-500 and hospitalizations reached around 48,000.
In 2000 the United States eliminated measles, thanks to widespread use of the MMR vaccine. The risk of measles has increased due to the declining vaccination rates among children. This is especially true for those below the 95% critical threshold in kindergarten.
Texas Measles outbreak: key data
Texas Department of State Health Services reports 90 measles confirmed cases in multiple counties across the state.
Gaines County, which has reported 57 cases, is at the epicenter. Terry County reported 20 cases. Dawson, Ector Lubbock Lynn and Yoakum counties each report fewer than 10 cases. According to age breakdown, 26 of the cases were in children aged between 0-4 years and 51 occurred in those aged 5-17. The 18-year-olds account for 10 of the cases. Three cases have yet to be determined. The Ector County Health Department has confirmed the findings to the Odessa American The only measles case was an infant too young to be vaccinated.
Of the 90 Texas cases of measles, 16 required hospitalization. DSHS reports that five of the 90 Texas measles patients were vaccinated. The rest either weren’t vaccinated at all or didn’t know their vaccination history. Officials from the Texas Department of Health describe this outbreak as one of the most severe in over 30 years. Lara Anton is the spokesperson for Texas Health Department. She stated that cases were largely in a Mennonite “close-knit community” which was under-vaccinated. The focus of this outbreak is on small, private religious schools and homeschooling families. Homeschooled students can make it difficult to keep track of vaccination rates.
In neighboring Lea County in New Mexico there is a separate outbreak of measles. There are four cases among those aged between 5-17, and five for adults over 18. New Mexico’s health officials say that, despite the county being close to Gaines, Texas there has not been any direct link between these two outbreaks. In New Mexico, exposure sites include a supermarket, an elementary-school, a Church, Nor-Lea Hospital and a Walgreens store in Hobbs.
Gaines County is a reflection of this trend in Texas. Nearly 14 percent of students from K-12 had refused to receive at least 1 required vaccination during the school year of 2023-24. The figure doesn’t include children who are home-schooled, so officials believe the actual opt-out is higher.
Measles is primarily a disease that affects children under the age of five who are either unvaccinated (or not completely vaccinated) or have not been vaccinated. Adults with no prior infection or vaccination are also at risk. MMR is the best vaccine against measles. The CDC’s data and studies show a correlation between low vaccination rates for measles and community-wide transmission that leads to outbreaks such as the Texas one. The CDC recommends that children follow the recommended immunization program.
Although most people recover quickly from the measles infection, there are serious complications that can develop. These include pneumonia, blindness (encephalitis), brain swelling, and death. The current measles outbreaks in Texas, New Mexico and other states have contributed to the rising trend of cases in America. This has caused concern and increased public awareness. Three outbreaks have already been reported by the CDC in 2025. A total of 285 outbreaks in 2024 resulted in a total number of cases. Alaska, California Georgia, New Jersey New York City and Rhode Island are among the other states that have experienced measles epidemics in this year.
According to the CDC’s recommendations on measles, the CDC found that 95% of those who were infected had never been vaccinated, or their vaccination status was unknown, but they had not received two doses recommended by the MMR vaccine. In the U.S., 48 of the 68 measles outbreaks were among children aged 5 to 19.
Nationally, the childhood vaccination rate has declined since the outbreak. A growing number of parents claim religious or conscience-based exemptions to mandatory vaccines. The public health authorities are very concerned by this trend because of the possible spread vaccine-preventable disease.
Public Health Response and Future Actions
Texas Health Authorities are actively implementing strategies for controlling and preventing the spread of measles. This includes holding regular vaccine clinics and public screenings.
They work with the schools in order to educate children about vaccines and make vaccines readily available for all who want them.
New Mexico’s health officials will be coordinating vaccination clinics at Hobbs, New Mexico next week to try and increase the number of people who are immunized against measles.
We can anticipate that more measles cases will appear at the locations affected and in surrounding areas, given the high contagiousness of the disease. An investigation into the matter is underway.