According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, an outbreak of measles in West Texas continues to grow.
As of February 18, DSHS had identified 58 cases with symptoms manifesting in the past three weeks in the South Plains region. Most—45 cases—were recorded in Gaines County.
Of the 58 cases identified in the South Plains area of West Texas, 13 have been hospitalized. Notably, four individuals are thought to have been vaccinated against the disease yet were still infected.
“Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in Gaines County and the surrounding communities. DSHS is working with South Plains Public Health District and Lubbock Public Health to investigate the outbreak,” read the DSHS announcement.
Most of those affected in West Texas are children aged 5 to 18. Earlier this month, The Dallas Express reported that cases among children in the state were worsening. According to the DSHS, at the time of writing, 80% of the measles reports in Texas were identified as school-aged children.
In response to the outbreak, local health departments in West Texas offer residents free vaccination clinics. The South Plains Public Health District, which includes Gaines County, has expanded its opening hours to seven days a week to help with the effort.
Writing in The Dallas Express in January, columnist Tom Patterson said the lack of trust in the medical community following the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in fewer children obtaining traditionally standard inoculations. As a result, despite virtually eliminating measles in 2020, last year saw a rash of outbreaks, with 285 measles cases reported, the highest since 2019.
“Before Covid, America was a world leader in vaccination rates with 95% coverage. Since 2020, though, the percentage of children receiving the recommended vaccines has declined by 2% or about 70,000 children,” Patterson wrote.
“The result has been a resurgence of childhood diseases once considered vestiges of the past.”
During the 2023-24 school year, nearly 20% of incoming kindergartners were unvaccinated against measles. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says at least 95% of kindergarten children should have two doses of the MMR vaccine.