Topline
A deceased man in a New Mexico county experiencing a small measles outbreak and bordering Texas—where an outbreak of the highly contagious virus in has grown to 159 people—tested positive for measles, the New Mexico Department of Health said Thursday, though his official cause of death was still under investigation.
Key Facts
On Thursday, the New Mexico Department of Health said a deceased man in Lea County who was unvaccinated against measles tested positive for the virus, though they said he did not seek medical care before passing and “the official cause of death is still under investigation.”
Lea County, New Mexico, is home to all 10 of the state’s confirmed measles cases, according to Source New Mexico, and is about 47 miles from Gaines County, Texas, where more than 100 of Texas’ measles cases have been detected.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported its outbreak had grown to 159 cases of measles as of Tuesday, with 22 of the patients having been hospitalized.
The Texas health department said just five of the cases are in vaccinated people, with the remainder of the sick patients being unvaccinated (80) or having an unknown vaccination status (74).
Melissa Whitfield, spokesperson for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, told Forbes on Feb. 26 an unvaccinated, school-age child with measles died of measles, marking the first death of the outbreak so far.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said last month the outbreak was “not unusual” before recently recognizing its “serious impact.”
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Where In Texas Is The Measles Outbreak?
Some 107 of the measles cases are located in Gaines County, a rural area about an hour-and-a-half west of Lubbock. The remaining cases are in Terry County (22), Dawson County (9), Yoakum County (7), Dallam County (4), Martin County (3), Lubbock County (3), Ector County (2) and Lynn County (2).
What Age Groups Is The Measles Outbreak Impacting In Texas?
Seventy-four of the cases have been among people aged five to 17, while 53 cases were among children between the ages of zero and four and 27 were reported among adults over age 18. The ages of five patients have not been stated.
Are There Outbreaks In Other States?
Yes, there is a relatively small outbreak in New Mexico, where 10 cases have been reported in Lea County, which is on the border with Texas. Outside of Texas and New Mexico, anywhere from one to nine cases have been reported by the CDC in California, Alaska, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. There is also at least one confirmed measles case in Florida, according to local outlets.
What Are Measles Symptoms?
Symptoms of measles include a fever, rash, cough, fatigue, runny nose and red eyes. The symptoms do not appear until 10 to 14 days after someone is exposed to the virus.
How Contagious Is Measles?
Measles is highly contagious and can spread from one person to nine out of 10 people close to them, according to the CDC, which notes a person infected with measles can spread it to others four days before through four days after the rash appears. Measles can spread through coughing, sneezing and infected surfaces.
Is There A Measles Vaccine?
Yes, and it is highly effective and safe, according to the CDC. The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, which has been available for over half a century, is about 97% effective at preventing measles with the standard two doses and 93% effective with one dose. The vaccine is typically given to people when they are children, with one dose administered between 12 to 15 months and another administered between four to six years old. The vaccine generally provides long-term or lifelong protection. There is no problem with getting the vaccine if you are an adult unsure of their vaccination status, Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told NPR. Adults born after 1957 and vaccinated before 1968 should consider getting revaccinated, NPR reported, noting early measles vaccines are not as effective.
What Has Rfk Jr. Said About The Measles Outbreak And Vaccine?
After claiming the outbreak is “not unusual,” Kennedy changed his stance and considered it “serious,” saying in a March 3 statement “the measles outbreak in Texas is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health.” Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, said vaccines contribute to community immunity, but did not explicitly tell people to get vaccinated and noted the “the decision to vaccinate is a personal one.” He also supported the use of vitamin A under the supervision of a physician to treat people with mild, moderate, and severe infection, creating concerns among health experts who have cautioned about the vitamin’s effectiveness. Sue Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told The Washington Post that solely relying on vitamin A instead of the MMR vaccine is “dangerous and ineffective” and can put children at risk, noting too much vitamin A can “cause serious health problems, including liver damage.” Meanwhile, advocacy non-profit Children’s Health Defense, which was founded and once chaired by RFK Jr., has attacked the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine and quoted skeptics who claimed measles was “an insignificant inconvenience until we turned it into a literal neurological damage nightmare through the MMR vaccine campaign.”
Crucial Quote
“Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities,” according to The Texas Department of State Health Services.
Key Background
The Texas measles outbreak began in late January with just two cases and has become the state’s largest outbreak of the virus in 30 years. The Texas Department of State Health Services said in a report of student immunization status for the 2023-2024 school year that 5.64% of Texas kindergarten students were not vaccinated for measles, while 2.34% of seventh graders had not received the vaccine. Measles was fully eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, according to the CDC, meaning the virus was not spreading within the country and new cases only came from people who contracted measles abroad and returned to the U.S. In 2024, a total of 285 measles cases were reported across 33 states.
Further Reading
Measles cases are rising in the U.S. Do adults need a vaccine booster? (NPR)
