Texas well being officers have constantly mentioned that vaccination is one of the simplest ways for folks to keep away from the extremely contagious airborne illness.
AUSTIN, Texas — Not less than 48 instances of measles — the overwhelming majority of which have been amongst kids — have been reported in West Texas, marking an escalation within the latest outbreak.
All however six of the present instances are in Gaines County. The remaining are in neighboring Lynn, Terry and Yoakum counties.
All of these with measles to this point have been both unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination standing, in response to state well being officers. Of the instances to this point, 13 folks have been hospitalized. It’s the worst outbreak in Texas in almost 30 years, the Related Press reported Friday. A well being official in West Texas mentioned among the instances gave the impression to be linked to non-public non secular faculties within the space, the AP additionally reported.
The brand new instances come two weeks after Texas well being officers reported two Measles instances out of Gaines County, each involving unvaccinated school-aged kids. Each kids have been hospitalized in Lubbock and later discharged. Final week, state well being officers mentioned the variety of instances had grown to 10. Since then, that determine has continued to extend.
West Texas is just not alone in new instances of measles. In January, new measles instances have been additionally reported in Harris County, prompting a well being alert from the state and marking the primary time Texans have been confirmed to have the illness since 2023. The 2 Harris County instances concerned unvaccinated grownup residents.
Measles is a extremely contagious airborne illness. Signs may embrace a excessive fever, cough, runny nostril and rash that begins on the face however then extends to the remainder of the physique. The well being penalties of getting measles could be severe and typically lead to loss of life.
RELATED: 2 measles instances linked to worldwide journey confirmed, Houston Well being Division says
Final yr, 40% of all of the 245 folks nationwide who contracted measles have been hospitalized, in response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. Greater than half of these hospitalized with measles final yr have been beneath the age of 5.
The illness’s prevalence has accelerated in recent times. In keeping with the CDC, by March 2024 there have been extra reported measles instances that yr than in all of 2023. The rise comes greater than 20 years after measles was thought-about eradicated by well being companies in 2000, that means that there had been no steady spreading of the illness for 12 months.
The brand new instances each nationwide and in Texas come because the state’s measles vaccination fee amongst kindergarteners has dropped for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccination fee was 97% within the 2019-20 college yr and declined to 94.3% for 2023-24. Across the identical time, the variety of vaccine exemption requests in Texas have doubled from 45,900 in 2018 to 93,000 in 2024.
State lawmakers have filed greater than 20 payments to this point this legislative session aimed toward weakening vaccination mandates. One proposal would even amend the Texas Structure to protect a Texans’ proper to refuse vaccination.
Texas well being officers have constantly mentioned that vaccination is one of the simplest ways for folks to avoid measles and different preventable illnesses. The vaccination course of consists of two separate doses.
“Kids too younger to be vaccinated usually tend to have extreme issues in the event that they get contaminated with the measles virus,” the Texas well being officers wrote in a Jan. 30 launch. “Nonetheless, every MMR dose lowers the chance of an infection and the severity of sickness if contaminated.”
This text initially appeared in The Texas Tribune.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media group that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public coverage, politics, authorities and statewide points.
