The measles outbreak in west Texas has expanded to 124 cases, with 18 hospitalizations, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The outbreak is concentrated in Gaines County, which now reports 80 cases.
Additional cases have been confirmed in Terry (21), Dawson (7), Yoakum (5), Dallam (4), Martin (3), Ector (2), Lubbock (1), and Lynn (1) counties. The vast majority of infected individuals are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status, with only five vaccinated individuals among the cases.
Health officials in New Mexico, where nine cases have been reported in Lea County, say there is no evidence linking the outbreaks.
DSHS is urging the public to receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is highly effective at preventing severe illness. Texas allows vaccine exemptions for religious or personal reasons, leading to a rise in exemption rates from 0.76% in 2014 to 2.32% in 2024. In Gaines County, nearly 14% of schoolchildren opted out of at least one required vaccine this school year.
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