Texas and New Mexico are grappling with measles outbreaks, with Texas experiencing its largest surge in over 30 years. According to new data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, 124 confirmed cases were reported in the western region of the state, as reported by ABC News. In neighboring New Mexico, at least nine cases were confirmed in Lea County, and state health officials suspected their outbreak was connected to the Texas cases, according to USA Today.
The surge in measles cases in Texas began in late January when two cases were reported in Gaines County, as reported by The Houston Chronicle. Since then, the number of cases in Gaines County reached 80, making it the epicenter of the outbreak. The vaccination rate in the affected school district was under 50%, with nearly 14% of schoolchildren in Gaines County having vaccination exemptions, as reported by Vox. This low vaccination coverage contributed to the rapid spread of the virus.
Children and teenagers between ages 5 and 17 made up the majority of measles cases in Texas, with 67 cases attributed to this age group and 39 cases among children ages 4 and under. Eighteen people were hospitalized due to the outbreak in West Texas. Most of the measles cases were in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, according to CNN.
Health officials expected further spread of the disease, particularly among unvaccinated populations. Given the contagious nature of measles, the Texas Department of Health Services anticipated that cases would likely continue to rise. The disease spread in the southwestern region of Texas since the end of January, with public health officials issuing alerts for potential exposure in central and south-central Texas.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known, with 9 out of 10 unvaccinated children in contact with an infected person likely to fall ill, necessitating a 95% vaccination rate in communities to prevent outbreaks. However, vaccination rates have been declining. Nationally, the measles vaccination rate slipped just below the 95 percent target necessary for herd immunity, which is critical for achieving population-level immunity, as reported by The Washington Post.
“Vaccines give us all the freedom to live, to go to work, and to go to school without the fear of preventable disease. We have to figure out a way to get that message out in a way that people will listen,” said Terri Burke, the executive director of the Houston-based nonprofit The Immunization Partnership, according to The Houston Chronicle.
In Gaines County, the low vaccination rates were exacerbated by the area's large, isolated Mennonite population, who often opted to homeschool their children or sent them to private schools and may have limited access to preventative care, including vaccinations. Language barriers also posed a challenge, as many people in the community spoke a German dialect or a combination of German and Spanish.
Health officials in Texas and New Mexico set up mobile vaccination and testing sites. Public health leaders educated the public on measles symptoms and established immunization clinics to curb the spread. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assisted the Texas Department of Health Services with lab support, vaccines, and technical assistance.
Doctors recommended two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to avoid a measles infection, as it is 97% effective at preventing measles. The CDC recommended the first dose at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old, and most vaccinated adults did not need a booster.
“Let's prevent what's preventable. And this is a highly preventable infection,” said Dr. Ari Brown, a pediatrician in Austin. Even one dose of the measles vaccine could provide 93% protection and could be effective even after exposure to the virus.
Despite efforts, authorities were concerned about further spread of the disease, which could demand federal officials get more involved, as reported by Vox. Measles can cause serious complications; about 1 in 5 unvaccinated people with measles need hospitalization, and as many as 1 in 20 children with measles develop pneumonia, the most common cause of death among children.
In the past, the United States achieved herd immunity for measles and officially declared measles eliminated in 2000. However, outbreaks resurfaced due to declines in vaccination rates, with most patients unvaccinated and skepticism contributing to this decline.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.