DEVI SHASTRI AND MORGAN LEE
Associated Press
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES | Q&A
A measles outbreak in rural West Texas has grown to 90 cases as of Feb. 21, and nine people in neighboring eastern New Mexico also were diagnosed with measles.
New Mexico health department spokesman Robert Nott said the agency hadn't "identified any direct contact" between cases in its state and cases in Texas.
Measles is a highly contagious disease. Here's what you should know about how to protect yourself against measles, as well as what's happening in Texas and New Mexico.
Where are measles spreading?
The West Texas cases are concentrated in Gaines County, which has 57 infections, and Terry County, north of Gaines, where there are now 20 confirmed cases. Dawson County, to the east of Gaines, was new to the count with six. Yoakum County has four and Lubbock, Lynn and Ector counties have a case each.
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State health officials say this outbreak is Texas' largest in nearly 30 years. Health department spokeswoman Lara Anton said cases have been concentrated in a "closeknit, undervaccinated" Mennonite community -- especially among families who attend small private religious schools or are homeschooled.
The New Mexico cases are in Lea County, which borders Gaines County in Texas. The cases include a family of five who's in isolation, the state health department said, but none of those infected has needed to be hospitalized. Six people who have measles were not vaccinated, officials said.
New Mexico officials also said people may have been exposed at a grocery store, an elementary school, a church, Nor-Lea Hospital and a Walgreens in Hobbs.
What is measles?
Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most kids will recover from the measles if they get it, but infection can lead to dangerous complications like pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.
Is the vaccine safe?
Yes, the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective in preventing measles infection and severe cases of the disease.
The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old. The vaccine series is required for children before entering kindergarten in public schools nationwide.
Before the vaccine was introduced in 1963, the U.S. saw 3 million to 4 million cases per year. Now, it's usually fewer than 200 in a normal year.
There is no link between the vaccine and autism, despite a now-discredited study and health disinformation.
Why do vaccination rates matter?
In communities with high vaccination rates -- above 95% -- diseases like measles have a harder time spreading. This is called "herd immunity."
But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.
The U.S. saw a rise in measles cases in 2024, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened more than 60. Five years earlier, measles cases were the worst in almost three decades.
Gaines County has one of the highest rates in Texas of school-aged children who opt out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% of K-12 children in the 2023-24 school year. Health officials say that number is likely higher because it doesn't include many children who are homeschooled and whose data would not be reported.
What are public health officials doing to stop the spread?
Health workers are hosting regular vaccination clinic and screening efforts in Texas. They are also working with schools to educate people about the importance of vaccination and offering shots.
New Mexico medical providers were urged to watch for and report measles infections, while state health authorities are trying to trace and notify people who may have been exposed. The state health department also held free vaccination clinics in Hobbs and Lovington.
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