State health officials announced Monday that the measles outbreak in Texas, which affected 762 people since late January, has officially ended.
The Texas measles outbreak that sickened 762 people since late January is over, state health officials said Monday. Health officials have not confirmed a new case in the counties where the outbreak was spreading for more than 42 days, passing the threshold public health officials use to declare measles outbreaks over.
The last outbreak-related case in Texas was on July 1,and 100 people were hospitalized throughout the outbreak. The cases were linked to outbreaks in Canada and Mexico and jumped to other states in the U.S.with 1,356 cases as of Aug. 5. Nationwide, childhood vaccination rates against the virus are declining as more parents claim exemptions from school requirements. West Texas was the nation’s measles epicenter for months. The virus started spreading there in close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite communities in Gaines County. State officials say they will keep monitoring for new cases. Before the outbreak, most doctors in the state hadn’t even seen a case of measles because of how uncommon it has become, said Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner Jennifer Shuford.“I want to highlight the tireless work of the public health professionals across the state who contributed to the containment of one of the most contagious viruses," Shuford said in a statement. Measles is a highly contagious virus that causes a rash, respiratory symptoms and can cause severe complications or death. It is prevented by the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, which is recommended for young kids before they start school. Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to nine out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed. Most kids will recover from measles if they get it, but infection can lead to dangerous complications like pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling, and death.Yes, the measles, mumps and rubella 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 for children between 4 and 6 years old. The vaccine series is required for kids before kindergarten in public schools nationwide. Before the vaccine was introduced in 1963, the U.S. saw some 3 million to 4 million cases per year. Now, there are usually fewer than 200 in a normal year.In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the 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 in 2019. 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 said that number is likely higher because it doesn’t include many children who are homeschooled and whose data would not be reported.Health workers are hosting regular vaccination clinics and screening efforts in Texas, as well as working with schools to educate people about the importance of vaccination and offering shots.The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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