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Measles update: Texas health officials report 20 more cases

The ultrastructural appearance of a virus particle, or virion, of the measles virus
Imago
/
Reuters
The ultrastructural appearance of a virus particle, or virion, of the measles virus

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The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 20 more cases of measles since the previous update last Friday.

Fifty-eight patients have been hospitalized since the outbreak began in late January.

The majority of the cases are in Gaines County, where the outbreak is centered.

Two school-aged children have died due to complications with the virus. Both lived in the outbreak region and were unvaccinated.

The state's updates come every Tuesday and Friday.

Health care professionals said the only way to prevent measles is to receive two doses of the MMR vaccine. Measles complications can include pneumonia, hearing loss, meningitis, and death.

The latest update came days after the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District reported that it will end some vaccinations for children because a grant funding those vaccines lost some of its federal financial support.

The Federal Immunization Vaccines for Children Grant was reduced from $3 million to $2.5 million, according to a memo from City Manager Erik Walsh. He said the grant will not be able to cover the vaccine clinical operations.

The Centers for Disease Control recently buried a warning about the potential for more measles outbreaks and the need for people to get vaccinated, according to a new report from ProPublica.

The grant was originally awarded in 2021, with an expiration date of middle of 2025. But the grant was prematurely terminated last month, which required Metro Health to terminate 23 temporary agency positions.

The vaccine services provided by Metro Health will end on June 30, explained Sonia Gonzales, Metro Health's public health administrator. The reduction in the grant also impacts five positions at Metro Health. Those workers were advised their positions are being eliminated on June 30.

The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is one of the many the clinic offers to the public. The ending of these vaccination services comes as Texas experiences the worst measles outbreak the state has seen in 30 years.

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Gabriella Alcorta-Solorio is a reporter for Texas Public Radio. She recently graduated from Texas State University with a major in journalism, minoring in women’s studies. She has previously worked as a photojournalist with The Ranger and has reported on Alzheimer’s and dementia in South Texas using public health data. Her main focuses include reporting on health as well as military and veterans issues. Alcorta-Solorio is a U.S. Army veteran.