Measles cases rise to 370 in Texas, New Mexico as outbreak continues to spread

The measles outbreak in the US states of Texas and New Mexico continues to spread, with a total of 370 confirmed cases as of Tuesday, including two deaths, according to those states' health departments.​​​​​​​

The majority of cases are in Texas, where the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has confirmed 327 cases since late January. Of those patients, DSHS officials said 40 of them were hospitalized and one unvaccinated school-aged child died from the virus.

The epicenter of the measles outbreak is Gaines County in West Texas, where 70% of the cases in the state have occurred.

Health officials said most of the patients were unvaccinated children. DSHS said 140 cases have been in children between the ages of 5 and 17 years old and 105 cases have been in children younger than 5.

The outbreak has spread west to the neighboring state of New Mexico, where health officials there confirmed 43 measles cases, including an unvaccinated adult who died after testing positive for the disease.

More recently, the virus has spread east to the other neighboring state of Oklahoma, where 9 measles cases have been confirmed so far.

Because measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that is spread mainly through coughing and sneezing, health officials in all three states expect the outbreak to grow in the surrounding communities and warn that it could continue for several months, and possibly up to a year, if families do not get their children vaccinated.

The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is a 2-shot treatment, with the first shot being administered in children between 12 and 15 months of age and the second shot given between the ages of 4 and 6.

Medical experts said measles can spread quickly in communities unless at least 95% of the population is protected by vaccination or natural immunity from a prior infection. In addition, measles can spread rapidly through communities unless at least 95% of the population is protected by vaccination or natural immunity from a prior infection, and data shows that vaccination rates have dropped in Texas and other states over the past decade.

According to DSHS officials, Gaines County had one of the highest nonmedical vaccine exemption rates in Texas during the 2023-24 school year, with 13.6% of children in kindergarten through 12th grade skipping at least one of the vaccines. Across the rest of the state, the nonmedical vaccine exemption rate during the same calendar year was about 2.3%.