In less than a month, Texas has reported 90 cases of measles, marking the most severe outbreak of the disease in the state in over 30 years. Sixteen individuals have been hospitalized. Additionally, nine measles cases have been documented in New Mexico.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has indicated that the outbreak is primarily concentrated in the northwest region of Texas, with at least 77 of those affected being children, 26 of whom are 4 years old or younger.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can be fatal. Initial symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, and conjunctivitis, with notable indicators being white spots inside the mouth and a widespread rash. According to the Pan American Health Organization, measles once claimed the lives of 2.6 million people globally each year, including 12,000 in the Americas. The introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963 led to a 97 percent reduction in cases across the US between 1965 and 1968. Subsequent global vaccination campaigns have contributed to a 95 percent reduction in cases worldwide from 1980 to 2015, due to the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine administered in two doses starting at age one.
Despite these advances, skepticism regarding vaccinations, including the MMR vaccine, has been spreading globally. The current Texas outbreak is centered in Gaines County, which has one of the highest vaccine exemption rates in the state, at 18 percent. Many affected individuals are children whose parents opted out of immunization against measles.
While most US states mandate the MMR vaccine for school attendance, there are provisions allowing exemptions for nonmedical reasons in some states, including Texas. In the ongoing outbreak, 85 of the 90 reported cases involve unvaccinated individuals.
Albert Pilkington, CEO of the Seminole Hospital District in Gaines County, emphasized the importance of personal choice regarding vaccination, highlighting it as a core American value.
In 2024, 285 measles cases were reported in the United States, marking the highest number since 2019, with 42 percent of those cases involving children under five years of age.
The potential for preventing measles appears grim as the Texas outbreak coincides with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as head of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Known first for his environmental advocacy, Kennedy later became a prominent anti-vaccine activist. He has propagated vaccine misinformation, suggesting a link between vaccines and developmental disorders, and was named by the Center for Countering Digital Hate as one of the “Disinformation Dozen,” a group of leading online anti-vaccine proponents.
Neither Robert F. Kennedy Jr. nor Texas Governor Greg Abbott has provided comments regarding the health emergency in the state, and they have not responded to a request for comments from WIRED.
This account was originally published in WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.