Measles update: State officials report 36 more cases in West Texas

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There are 36 new confirmed cases of measles connected to the West Texas outbreak.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has counted 597 cases since the outbreak began in late January.

Sixty-two of the patients have been hospitalized since January. There have been two fatalities among school-aged children.

In a statement, the DSHS added that "[b]ased on the most recent data, DSHS has identified designated outbreak counties with ongoing measles transmission: Cochran, Dallam, Dawson, Gaines, Garza, Lynn, Lamar, Lubbock, Terry and Yoakum."

Despite claims by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the outbreak is not slowing down.

Public Health

The cost of the measles outbreak in Texas

David Martin Davies

With cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas and other states will have to spend more on public health. The biggest expense of a measles outbreak is the public health response in shutting down the outbreak.

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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.

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