A measles outbreak across two states has infected nearly 100 people, the majority of whom are unvaccinated children. Public health officials say additional cases are likely to be reported.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reported 90 cases of measles since late January in west Texas, with 16 of those patients being hospitalized. Five of the cases are vaccinated individuals, while the rest are unvaccinated or their vaccine status is unknown.
Twenty-six cases involve children ages 0-3 years, while 51 cases have been reported in children ages 5-17 years. Ten cases involve people 18 years of age or older, with three cases of an unknown age.
Gaines County has the most reported measles cases with 57. The county had a nearly 18% vaccine exemption rate among kindergartners for the 2023-’24 school year, according to DSHS statistics. Additional cases have been reported in Terry (20), Dawson (six), Yoakum (four), Ector (one), Lubbock (one) and Lynn (one) counties.
The New Mexico Department of Health reported nine measles cases have been identified in Lea County, which borders Gaines County, Texas. Of those, four cases involve children ages 5-17 years, while five cases involve adults ages 18 and older.
In an update Monday, DSHS said one person from the outbreak area in west Texas visited several locations in the San Marcos and San Antonio area the weekend of Feb. 14-16 while they were contagious, including Texas State University in San Marcos and the University of Texas at San Antonio main campus. Due to the highly contagious nature of measles, additional cases are likely to occur in the affected communities.
The AAP and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend children receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine at age 12-15 months and again at 4-6 years. Children can receive the second dose earlier if it is at least 28 days after the first dose. Each dose of MMR lowers the risk of infection and severity of illness, if infected. Families should contact their pediatricians for more information about vaccination.
The measles virus is transmitted by contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. Measles virus can remain infectious in the air up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
Illness onset (high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes) begins a week or two after someone is exposed. A few days later, a rash breaks out as flat, red spots on the face and then spreads down the neck and trunk to the rest of the body. A person is contagious about four days before the rash appears to four days after.
Other measles symptoms may include small spots in the cheek area inside the mouth, diarrhea and ear infection. Measles can lead to pneumonia, swelling of the brain, deafness, intellectual disability and death.
Measles was rare in the United States, but outbreaks are occurring in areas where vaccination rates have fallen. Most children who get measles are not up to date on recommended vaccines or are not old enough to get measles vaccine.
The CDC measles website, which is expected to be updated weekly, reports 93 measles cases as of Feb. 20 across eight jurisdictions (Alaska, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island and Texas).
The CDC has reported three outbreaks (defined as three or more related cases) in 2025, and 92% of cases (86 of 93) are outbreak-associated. Last year, 285 measles cases (16 outbreaks) were reported by 33 jurisdictions across the United States. For comparison, 59 measles cases (four outbreaks) were reported in 2023.
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