Rural West Texas is currently facing a serious measles outbreak, with 90 cases reported across seven counties. Out of these, 16 individuals are in the hospital. In nearby eastern New Mexico, there are nine reported cases; however, officials say this outbreak is unrelated to the one in Texas.
Measles spreads quickly and can pose serious health risks. It’s important to know how to protect yourself and others.
Most of the cases in Texas are in Gaines County, with 57 infections, followed by Terry County with 20 cases. Other affected counties include Dawson, Yoakum, Lubbock, Lynn, and Ector, each with a few cases. The majority of those infected are children—26 are younger than 4, and 51 are between 5 and 17. Sadly, many cases are found in a Mennonite community with low vaccination rates.
In New Mexico, all cases are located in Lea County, which borders Gaines County. People may have been exposed in local grocery stores, schools, churches, and even hospitals.
Measles is a respiratory virus that can linger in the air for up to two hours. If you’re exposed and not vaccinated, there’s a 90% chance you’ll get it. Although most children recover, measles can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, blindness, or brain swelling.
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and very effective. It’s recommended for children at 12-15 months and again at 4-6 years. The vaccine is essential for kids entering kindergarten in public schools. Before the vaccine was available, millions of cases occurred each year in the U.S.; today, that number is significantly lower.
Vaccination rates are crucial. When more than 95% of a community is vaccinated, diseases like measles find it harder to spread due to herd immunity. However, vaccination rates have dropped recently. In Gaines County, nearly 14% of school-aged kids opted out of at least one required vaccine, and this number may be underreported because it doesn’t include homeschooled children.
To combat this outbreak, health officials are actively hosting vaccination clinics and providing information on the importance of immunizations. Community education efforts are underway in both Texas and New Mexico to encourage more people to get vaccinated.
