TX Measles Outbreak Hits 90 Cases, Spreads Across Counties

GAINES COUNTY, TX — The measles outbreak in the South Plains region of Texas is up to 90 confirmed cases, according to the state's Department of Health. Cases have been increasing and spreading since late January.

As of Friday, 16 patients have been hospitalized.

Five of the cases involved vaccinated individuals, but the majority are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

Because measles is highly contagious, further cases are expected, health officials said.

The outbreak spans several counties, including Dawson (6 cases), Ector (1), Gaines (57), Lubbock (1), Lynn (1), Terry (20), and Yoakum (4).

The age groups affected range from 0-4 years (26 cases) to 18+ years (10 cases).

Vaccination with two doses of the MMR vaccine is the best prevention method, health officials said. Residents can contact their healthcare provider or visit the South Plains Public Health District Clinic for vaccinations.

The Texas outbreak, the state’s largest in nearly 30 years, has been concentrated in a “close-knit, undervaccinated” Mennonite community, especially among families who attend private religious schools or are homeschooled, Texas Department of State Health Services spokeswoman Lara Anton said last week.

About 94.3 percent of kindergarteners attending Texas public schools were vaccinated against the measles in the 2023-24 school year. Only about a dozen other states reported higher vaccine coverage, according to the CDC data.

"Herd Immunity" Varies Within States

In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95 percent — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called "herd immunity."

Vaccine coverage may vary greatly at the local level, and pockets of unvaccinated people can exist in states with high vaccination coverage, according to the CDC, which noted that when measles gets into communities of unvaccinated people in the United States, outbreaks can occur.

However, Gaines County has one of the highest rates in Texas of school-aged children who opt out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14 percent of K-12 children in the 2023-24 school year.

Health officials say that number is likely higher because it doesn't include many children who are homeschooled and whose data would not be reported.

Did Texas Outbreak Jump State Lines?

Health officials don’t think so.

New Mexico state health department spokesman Robert Nott said Tuesday the agency hadn’t “identified any direct contact” between cases in New Mexico and those in Texas.

The people with measles include a family of five who are in isolation and none of those who have gotten measles have required hospitalization. Six of those who have gotten sick in New Mexico were not vaccinated.

They may have been exposed at a grocery store, an elementary school, a church, Nor-Lea Hospital and a Walgreens in Hobbs, according to health department spokesman Robert Nott.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.