The measles outbreak in West Texas is significantly impacting the region’s Mennonite community.
Gaines County, which has a large Mennonite population, has reported 80 measles cases since late January.
Who are the Mennonites?
Dig deeper:
The Mennonties are a branch of the Christian church that was part of the Anabaptist movement in the 1500s.
The radical movement began in Central Europe, with many moved to North America in the 17th century to escape persecution.
The Mennonites are one of several branches of Anabaptists, which include the Amish, Brethren and Hutterites.
The Mennonite Church says they “believe in the close textual readings of the Scriptures and a personal spiritual responsibility as the basis of their faith.”
Some conservative branches of the Mennonite church embrace simple dress and require women to wear head coverings. Each local church district has rules for what may or may not be used, like phones.
The Mennonite Church says most of their communities are not culturally separatist, like the Amish.
Today, Mennonites are found in many countries, but are most heavily concentrated in the United States and Canada.
There are more than 2.2 million Mennonites worldwide, according to Mennonite Church US.
Gaines County Mennonites
The backstory:
There is a large Mennonite community in West Texas.
A group of Mennonites moved from Mexico to Texas communities and other nearby states in the 1980s and 1990s.
Mennonites on vaccines
What they’re saying:
“Historically and theologically, there has not been any religious teaching against immunization in Mennonite circles,” said Steven Nolt, professor of history and Anabaptist Studies at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, in an email to the Associated Press. “There’s no religious prohibition, no body of religious writing on it at all. That said, more culturally conservative Mennonite (and Amish) groups have tended to be under-immunized or partially-immunized.”
Nolt told the AP the Mennonites don’t engage with health care systems as regularly as other groups and that they have been skeptical of newly introduced vaccines in recent years.
Gaines County vaccination rates
By the numbers:
Seminole ISD, the largest school district in Gaines County, had an 89.72% MMR vaccination rate for seventh graders in 2023-2024.
Loop ISD, also in Gaines County, had a 55.56% MMR vaccination rate for seventh graders in 2023-2024.
The Source: Information on the Mennonites comes from Mennonite Church USA’s website. Information on the measles cases in Gaines County this year and the vaccination rates at schools in Gaines County come from the Texas State Department of Health and Human Services.
