An exacerbated measles outbreak has taken root in Texas, causing two dozen illnesses and nine hospitalisations in the western tip of the state, with childhood vaccinations rates falling in recent years.
As of Tuesday, 22 children and two adults had been infected, all of whom had not been vaccinated, local health officials said. This outbreak has resulted in the designation of childhood vaccines as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the nation's next health secretary, with similar increases in diseases that can be prevented by public health experts more frequent. It makes me worried about becoming.
“We've seen a lot of people who have had a lot of trouble with their health,” said Dr. Cameron Wolf, an infectious disease expert at Duke University.
The Texas outbreak has so far been limited to Gaines County residents, which are adjacent to New Mexico and have around 20,000 residents. State data shows 82% of kindergarten students received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines. That figure is about 10 percentage points lower than the average vaccination rate for public schools in Texas, and well below the 95% federal target for measles vaccinations.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, vaccination rates have fallen nationwide, now below 93%. Estimated 280,000 kindergarteners in the United States do not have MMR vaccine documents, according to federal data.
Texas public schools require children, including MMR shots, to receive a specific vaccine, but parents can apply for an exemption for “reasons of conscience” including religious beliefs.
More than 13% of Gaines County K-12 students received a vaccine waiver last year, according to state health department data. This is one of the highest exemption rates in the state.
Lala Anton, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Health, said cases were concentrated in the county's “more isolated” communities among those who attend churches and private schools. Many of the children are also homeschooled, Anton said.
The local health department has established a drive-thru vaccination clinic in Seminole, located in the heart of Gaines County, known for its large community of Mennonite. So far, these have been well attended, Anton said.
The most common side effects of measles – high fever and spotted red rash – usually resolves on its own within a few weeks. However, serious complications, including pneumonia and brain swelling, are possible, especially for children under the age of 5.
About one in five people who have not been vaccinated who have been infected with measles are hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anton said all nine of the hospitalized patients were school-age children, many of whom spent time in intensive care units.
“It's a serious illness,” she said. “We are trying to impress our community that we need to take steps to protect ourselves.”
State health officials warned that the incident would likely appear in the surrounding communities due to the “very contagious nature of the disease.”
New Mexico's Department of Health reported this week that a teenager who lived in a county adjacent to Texas tested positive for measles, but that the child had not been exposed to the Gaines County outbreak.
