Texas health officials say that as efforts to control the situation fail, the measles outbreak in West Texas could continue for a year.
They also mention that this situation could reverse some of the progress the entire country has made in fighting the virus.
Healio has reported that, as of April 1st, the number of measles cases in Texas and New Mexico has surged to almost 450 in just two months. This figure has already surpassed the total nationwide average for the entire previous year.
The outbreak has led to over 40 people being hospitalized and at least two individuals have died as a result. One of the deceased was a school-aged child, marking the first such death in the U.S. in ten years. On March 6, New Mexico health officials reported that an adult in Lea County tested positive for measles after passing away; according to the CDC, that death is under investigation.
The most recent update from Texas shows that there are 131 measles cases in kids aged 0 to 4 years, 164 cases in children aged 5 to 17 years and 80 cases in adults. The ages for 25 cases have not been disclosed. Notably, only two of the reported cases involved individuals who had received both doses of the MMR vaccine as recommended.
In New Mexico, there have been eight cases in children between 0 and 4 years old, 13 cases in kids aged 5 to 17 and 23 cases in adults. Officials noted that only four of the affected individuals had received at least one dose of the MMR vaccine before they got sick.
Both Texas and New Mexico are still seeing more cases and health officials are worried that the outbreak there might be spreading to other places. Two nearby states have reported cases that could be connected to this outbreak.
In Oklahoma, health officials have found nine cases linked to the outbreak in Texas and New Mexico. Meanwhile, in Kansas, the number of cases has risen to 23 as of March 26. This outbreak is related to a case that is genetically connected to Texas and New Mexico as well, but Kansas has not yet officially confirmed how the exposure happened.
What’s more, The New York Times reports that in 2025, fourteen other states have seen isolated cases of measles, which are likely linked to international travel. In Ohio, nine out of ten cases were connected to a man who didn’t get vaccinated and had traveled abroad recently.
“This is going to be a large outbreak, and we are still on the side where we are increasing the number of cases…I’m really thinking this is going to be year long,” Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health, said at a recent briefing.
“I just think, it being so rural now, multistate, it’s just going to take a lot more boots on the ground, a lot more work to get things under control. It’s not an isolated population.”
Per a Times tally, nearly 93% of kindergarten children received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine during the 2023-24 school year, as reported by the CDC. In Kansas, around 90% of kindergartners had the M.M.R. shot that year, based on state data. In Ohio, about 89% of kindergartners were vaccinated with the MMR shot.
However, experts suggest that at least 95% of people in a community should be vaccinated to prevent outbreaks.
Why We Should Be Concerned
Doctors explain that measles is one of the most contagious viruses, spreading when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.
A few weeks after being exposed, a person who catches the virus may experience a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Soon after, a distinctive rash appears, starting as flat red, purple or flesh-toned spots on the face and then spreading to the neck, torso and the rest of the body.
In most cases, these symptoms go away in a few weeks. However, in rare instances, the virus can lead to pneumonia, which makes it hard for patients – especially children – to get enough oxygen into their lungs.
The infection can also cause swelling in the brain, which may result in long-term problems like blindness, deafness and learning difficulties. According to the CDC, out of every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two may die.
Who’s Coming to Help?
In his initial statements about the outbreak, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received fierce backlash for minimizing the danger of measles. He said that outbreaks were “not unusual” and wrongly asserted that many people in the hospital were there “mainly for quarantine.” Later, he changed his position and quietly recommended vaccines for people in West Texas, but also raised serious concerns about their safety.
This has frustrated local doctors and health officials, as he has also supported unproven treatments like cod liver oil and vitamins, even claiming that steroids or antibiotics could lead to “almost miraculous and instantaneous” recoveries.
To date, credible health officials state that there is no cure for measles. There are only medications available to alleviate the symptoms.
They stress that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infection. Additionally, when a large number of people are vaccinated, it contributes to herd immunity, which shields those who are more vulnerable by decreasing the overall spread of the virus.
“As long as we continue to have a pool of unvaccinated people, it will continue to spread,” said Dr. Olusimbo Ige, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
“So it’s very hard to say it has peaked unless you have successfully {protected} everyone who is unvaccinated.”
For more information about the measles outbreak and ways to safeguard your family, consult your family doctor or pediatrician, or visit the following websites.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
