By Jordan King
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An ongoing measles outbreak in rural Texas is the worst the state has seen in the last 30 years—here is everything we know about it.
Texas Outbreak Latest
A total of 48 measles cases had been identified in the South Plains region of Texas, as of the Texas Department of State Health Services' most recent update on February 14.
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The majority of these are in Gaines County (42), followed by Terry County (three), Yoakum County (two) and Lynn County (one).
Some 29 cases are people between the ages of 5 and 17 years old, while 13 cases are among young children up to 4 years old. Five are over the age of 18 and one is unknown.
On Friday, Lubbock County confirmed its first case, bringing the total up to 49.
Texas Vaccination Rates
Most of the cases have been in a close-knit, under-vaccinated" Mennonite community, health department spokesperson Lara Anton said.
"The church isn't the reason that they're not vaccinated," she added. "It's all personal choice and you can do whatever you want. It's just that the community doesn't go and get regular healthcare."
"If there's a room full of 10 unvaccinated individuals, nine of them will contract measles."
Gaines County has a low measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rate, with 82 percent of kindergartners in its public schools up to date with their vaccines for the 2023-24 school year, according to state data.
This is lower than the 95 percent vaccination rate required for herd immunity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and makes Gaines County one of the 10 with the lowest vaccine coverage in the state.
The county has an 18 percent vaccine exemption rate, which "allows for an exemption from immunizations for reasons of conscience, including a religious belief."
Lubbock public health director Katherine Wells said this is not the case for her county, but there is still a risk.
"I'm less worried about a large spread or a large outbreak in a school district," Wells told local broadcaster KCBD News. "However, you could have—with these exposures—medical facilities and there is the possibility of a child coming into school that could expose unvaccinated children in that environment."
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What Is Measles and How Dangerous Is It?
"Measles is an airborne, extremely infectious, and potentially severe rash illness," the CDC says.
Before the creation of the MMR shot, between 400 and 500 people in the U.S. died from measles each year—48,000 people were hospitalized.
The U.S. declared measles eliminated in 2000 "thanks to a very high percentage of people receiving the safe and effective measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine," the CDC said, but now U.S. coverage among children of kindergarten age is below the 95 percent coverage target.
"I think people haven't seen it in so long, that they can get complacent and say, 'Well, I don't really need the vaccine—it's not around so I don't need to get it," Wells said.
Why Do People Choose Not To Get the Vaccine?
There has previously been misinformation about the measles vaccine causing autism, but the CDC says this is often borne out of the fact that "signs of autism may appear around the same time children receive the MMR vaccine."
It cites a 2004 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report that concluded there is no link between autism and the MMR shot.
Other families are worried about the possible side effects of the vaccine.
The CDC says: "MMR vaccine has been linked with a very small risk of febrile seizures. Febrile seizures following MMR vaccination are rare and are not associated with any long-term effects. Because the risk of febrile seizures increases as infants get older, it is recommended that they get vaccinated as soon as recommended.
"Extremely rarely, a person may have a serious allergic reaction to MMR vaccine. Anyone who has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to the antibiotic neomycin, or any other component of MMR vaccine, should not get the vaccine."
It also adds: "Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. Most people who get the MMR vaccine do not have any serious problems with it. Getting MMR vaccine is much safer than getting measles, mumps or rubella."
For every 10,000 children who get their first MMR and varicella vaccines as separate shots, between the ages of 12 and 23 months, four will have a febrile seizure during the 7-10 days following vaccination, the CDC says.
The risk of a febrile seizure six to 14 days after MMR vaccination goes up slightly for children younger than 7 years old, to one in every 3,000 to 4,000 children.
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