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Cases of measles, a highly contagious virus that primarily affects children, are surging in Texas and several other states.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Tuesday that an outbreak in northwest Texas escalated from two cases among unvaccinated children in Gaines County to 58 cases across five counties. The majority of the infected children were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.
On Feb. 14, New Mexico officials declared an outbreak in Lea County, just across state lines from Gaines County. Three residents tested positive for measles during the week.
States reporting measles cases: Alaska, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island and Texas.
Measles outbreaks are low but not gone
The last major outbreak of measles in the U.S. occurred six years ago when 22 outbreaks led to 1,249 cases from Jan. 1 to Oct. 1. According to the CDC, the 2019 outbreak was the highest in a single year since 1992 – eight years before measles was declared eliminated in the U.S.
Where states allow vaccination exemptions
Nationwide, childhood immunization rates against serious diseases like measles are declining as more parents request non-medical exemptions from recommended vaccinations, according to the CDC.
In the 2023–2024 school year, more than three-quarters of states had kindergartener MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination coverage rates below the CDC’s Healthy People target of 95%. Of note, even states with high immunization rates may have pockets of unvaccinated people.
Given that measles is extremely contagious and can cause severe complications including pneumonia and brain swelling, the drop in vaccination rates is concerning. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective at preventing measles, and the CDC advises people be vaccinated twice.
What are measles symptoms?
According to the CDC, measles symptoms appear seven to 14 days after contact with the virus and typically include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. Measles rash appears three to five days after the first symptoms.
Other signs and symptoms of measles include:
- Koplik’s spots, tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin
- Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots (the spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body)
- When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104 degrees