A Texas county with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country is dealing with a measles outbreak that has infected at least fifteen people. But local health officials say the outbreak has yet to hit its peak.
The cases are flaring up mostly in school-aged children in Gaines County in West Texas. All of the victims are unvaccinated.
Some of the cases appear to be connected to private religious schools in the county. In response health officials last week set up a drive-through vaccination clinic and are offering screening services to residents. They are also having to administer preventative measles medication in infants in the local hospital.
In January, two measles cases were also reported in Harris County. These cases do not appear to be connected to the West Texas outbreak. The two Harris County cases involved unvaccinated adult residents and prompting a health alert from the state. It marked the first time Texans were confirmed to have the disease since 2023.
The U.S. saw a rise in measles cases in 2024, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened more than 60. This month, health officials in metro Atlanta are working to contain a measles case that spread to two unvaccinated family members.
Texas law allows children to get an exemption from school vaccines for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs.
The percentage of kids with exemptions has risen over the last decade from .76% in 2014 to 2.32% last year, according to Texas Department of State Health Services data. Gaines County has one of the highest rates in Texas of school-aged children who opt out of at least one required vaccine: Nearly 14% of children from kindergarten through grade 12 had an exemption in the 2023-24 school year.
Meanwhile confirmed cases of the flu continue to increase in Texas. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reported 64 influenza-associated outbreaks during the first week of February.
The flu is a serious disease, as 3,262 Texans and four children have died of influenza or pneumonia since flu season began on Oct. 1.
DSHS also confirmed a 50% increase in COVID-19 cases and a 78% increase in COVID-related deaths.
Guest:
Dr. Jason Bowling, University Health’s director of hospital epidemiology
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This interview will be recorded on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.
