AUSTIN (KXAN) – The measles outbreak in the South Plains region of Texas has grown to 223 cases. Twenty-nine of those infected have been hospitalized and one school-aged child has died, according to the latest update from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
There are four measles cases outside of the South Plains region, including one in Travis County, that are associated with international travel, DSHS said.
Since the outbreak started in late January, DSHS has regularly released updated cases. There were 25 fewer cases last Friday.
“In the last 10 years, there’s been no death in regards to measles until the death this year in Texas,” said Dr. Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of Children at Risk.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease spread by contact with an infected person through coughing and sneezing. It can stay in the air and on surfaces for two hours, even after the infected person has left.
“When the first vaccine was introduced in 1963, we saw a dramatic drop in the number of measles cases. And by 2000, basically, we were saying that measles had been eradicated in our country,” Sanborn said at a Tuesday press event.
According to the World Health Organization, two doses of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccination vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles – one of the world’s most contagious diseases.
“My parents and their parents didn’t have these options. All parents want to do is the right thing, and the right thing to do is to not let your kids get measles. We have the solution for you,” Sanborn continued.
If more than 95% of a community is vaccinated, then people will generally be protected through herd immunity. However, the CDC reported that vaccination rates among kindergarteners have been falling. In 2020, the vaccination rate among kindergartners was 95.2%, which dropped to 92.7% in 2024.
In Texas, 94.35% of kindergartners were vaccinated for measles in the 2023-2024 school year, according to DSHS, but rates vary by school district. For example, in Gaines County’s largest school district, Seminole ISD, only 82% of kindergarteners during the 2023-2024 school year were vaccinated for measles.
