The measles outbreak in Texas has now affected 309 people and claimed the life of an unvaccinated school-aged child, according to the latest report from the Texas Department of State Health Services released on March 21, 2025.

The outbreak, which began in late January, has spread from its epicenter in Gaines County to 14 counties across Texas. Forty patients have been hospitalized so far.

Public health officials now warn that the outbreak could continue for up to a year and potentially threaten the United States’ measles elimination status if it’s not properly contained.

Outbreak Details

The majority of cases have been concentrated in rural West Texas, with Gaines County reporting 211 of the 309 confirmed cases. The outbreak has primarily affected under vaccinated Mennonite communities in the region.

Children have been hit hardest, with 232 cases in people under 18 years old:

• Ages 0-4: 102 cases
• Ages 5-17: 130 cases
• Ages 18+: 58 cases
• Cases pending age classification: 19

The disease has now spread beyond Texas, with New Mexico reporting 42 cases and one death, while Oklahoma has reported four probable cases linked to the Texas outbreak.

Vaccination Status

Almost all cases (307 of 309) have occurred in unvaccinated individuals. Only two cases have been reported in people who received two or more doses of the MMR vaccine.

Katherine Wells, director of public health for the City of Lubbock, noted that vaccination efforts in Gaines County have been challenging.

“The uptake for vaccines has definitely been a struggle,” Wells said. “It being so rural, now multistate, it’s just going to take a lot more boots on the ground, a lot more work, to get things under control.”

Rising Vaccination Numbers

Despite the challenges, there are some positive signs. More people have received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination this year compared to last year:

• Texas administered at least 173,000 measles doses from January 1 to March 16, compared to 158,000 during the same period last year
• New Mexico gave over 11,600 measles vaccines between February 1 and March 18, compared to 6,500 during that time last year
• Pharmacy chains Walgreens and CVS report higher demand for MMR vaccines nationwide, especially in outbreak areas

However, experts say vaccination rates in the affected areas still fall well below the 95% threshold needed to prevent community spread.

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Why This Outbreak Is Concerning

Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases. The virus can hang in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left a room, and people can spread it for days before showing symptoms.

Dr. William Moss, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University, warned that if the outbreak continues until next January, it would end the United States’ status of having eliminated measles, defined as 12 months without local virus transmission.

“We’re only three months in. I think if we had a strong response where the messaging was clear that measles vaccination is the way to stop this outbreak, I would be surprised if it went for 12 months or more,” said Moss, who has worked on measles for 25 years.

Public Health Response

Health officials are working to contain the outbreak through several measures:

• Setting up vaccination clinics in affected areas
• Conducting contact tracing of exposed individuals
• Encouraging quarantine for infected people
• Increasing public education about vaccination

However, experts point to several challenges in containing the spread:

• Low trust in government and public health officials
• Growing vaccine hesitancy since the COVID-19 pandemic
• Limited enforcement powers for quarantine
• Insufficient staff for contact tracing in rural areas

“Measles is going to find those pockets of unvaccinated individuals, and with the number of cases and ability for people to travel, there is that risk of it entering other unvaccinated pockets anywhere in the United States right now,” Wells said.

Prevention

Health officials emphasize that vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles infection. The MMR vaccine has been safely used for more than 60 years and is 97% effective after two doses.

People can get vaccinated through their healthcare provider, pharmacy, or local public health department. Pharmacies can vaccinate people 14 and older without a prescription, while children under 14 need a prescription to receive the MMR vaccine at a pharmacy.

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