Tejal Somvanshi
The measles outbreak in West Texas has grown to 159 confirmed cases as of March 4, 2025, according to data released by the Texas Department of State Health Services. This marks the state’s largest measles outbreak in 30 years, with Gaines County emerging as the epicenter with 107 cases.
Outbreak Details
Most cases involve unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status. Of the total cases:
- 80 are confirmed as unvaccinated
- 74 have unknown vaccination status
- Only 5 cases were vaccinated with at least one MMR dose
Health officials report 22 hospitalizations and one fatality – an unvaccinated school-aged child with no known underlying conditions. This represents the first measles death in the United States since 2015 and the first in a U.S. child since 2003.
Age Distribution
The outbreak is affecting children and teens most severely:
- 74 cases among children aged 5-17
- 53 cases in children under 5
- 27 cases in adults 18+
- 5 cases with ages pending
Geographic Spread
While concentrated in West Texas, the outbreak has spread to multiple counties:
- Gaines County: 107 cases
- Terry County: 22 cases
- Dawson County: 9 cases
- Yoakum County: 7 cases
- Dallam County: 4 cases
- Martin County: 3 cases
- Lubbock County: 3 cases
- Ector County: 2 cases
- Lynn County: 2 cases
Four additional measles cases not connected to this outbreak have been reported elsewhere in Texas (Harris, Rockwall, and Travis counties), all associated with international travel.
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Federal Response
The CDC has deployed its Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers to assist local health authorities in managing the outbreak. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Fox News that the CDC’s rapid response team had treated 108 patients in the first 48 hours of arriving in Texas.
“The measles outbreak in Texas is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health,” Kennedy said in a statement. “Under my leadership, HHS is and will always be committed to radical transparency to regain the public’s trust in its health agencies.”
Kennedy mentioned that patients are being treated with budesonide (a steroid), clarithromycin (an antibiotic), vitamin A, and cod liver oil. The federal government has also sent 2,000 doses of the MMR vaccine to Texas.
Vaccination Concerns
Gaines County, which has a large Mennonite population, has seen vaccine exemption rates rise substantially over the past decade. State health data shows that approximately 17.5% of kindergarteners in Gaines County had exemptions for at least one vaccine in the 2023-2024 school year, up from 7.5% in 2013.
Kennedy said during his Fox News interview: “In highly unvaccinated communities like the Mennonites, it’s something we recommend, but we also understand there is a lot of mistrust of the vaccines.”
He added, “There are people who should not be vaccinated in the community because they have autoimmune problems or other immune problems. If you do get vaccinated, you are protecting those people from a possible spread.”
Health officials emphasize that the MMR vaccine is highly effective, with two doses providing approximately 97% protection against measles.
