Top Line
State health officials reported Tuesday that more than 700 confirmed cases of measles were found at the time of the Texas-wide outbreak.
Most cases in the US are concentrated in Texas.
Copyright 2025 Associated Press. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited
Important facts
The Texas Department of Health reported Tuesday that the number of measles cases dating back to late January has grown to 702, with 91 patients admitted and two school-age children have died from illness since the start of the state outbreak.
Texas health officials estimate that fewer than 10 confirmed cases are estimated.
The Texas Department of Health said 30 cases were vaccinated, and the remaining 672 sick patients were not vaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown.
According to the latest update from the CDC on Friday, there have been 935 confirmed cases of measles in nearly 30 states so far this year, up 51 in the previous week, far surpassing the 285 measles cases reported throughout 2024 (the CDC does not provide data on actively infected cases).
In New Mexico, which has the country’s second most common measles cases, Lee County has 61 of the state’s 67 confirmed cases, with a Texas measles incident that is detected about 47 miles from Gaines County, Texas.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 46 confirmed cases as of Saturday, with the department’s communications director Jill Bronaud saying that the Forbes genetic sequence in one case was previously “matched” with the link to the outbreak in Texas and New Mexico.
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Where is measles occurring in Texas?
A 403 measles incident has been confirmed in Gaines County, a rural area about an hour and a half west of Lubbock. Cases include Terry County (60), Lubbock County (51), El Paso County (44), Dawson County (26), Yoakum County (20), Lamar County (18), Cochran County (14), and Ector County (11), with a total of 29 Texas County confirming the disease.
Has anyone ever died of measles this year?
The New York Times reported that the 8-year-old girl died earlier this month from “measles lung failure” in Lubbock, Texas. The UMC Health System, the hospital where she died, confirmed the death to the media outlet, noting that the child had not been vaccinated and had no underlying health conditions. The 6-year-old, who had not been vaccinated, also died of measles in February, marking his first death from measles in the United States for the first time in 10 years.
What age group is affecting the outbreak of measles in Texas?
Approximately 255 cases were between people ages 5 and 17, and 207 were reported among children aged 18 and older. The ages of the 21 patients are not stated.
Where is the outbreak of measles in the United States?
The CDC reported 12 outbreaks (three or more related cases) in 2025, with 93% of confirmed cases (869 of 935) associated with outbreaks. The Kansas case is linked to New Mexico and there are lawsuits related to the Texas outbreak. Other than triple or double-digit cases in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Ohio and Pennsylvania, one to nine cases have been confirmed by the CDC. Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York City, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Symptoms of measles include fever, rash, cough, fatigue, runny nose and red eyes. Symptoms may not appear 10-14 days after someone is exposed to the virus, and may appear 21 days after exposure.
How contagious is measles?
Measles is highly contagious and can range from 9 to 9 out of 10 people close to 1. According to the CDC, people infected with measles can spread it to others four days before the rash appears. Measles can cough, sneeze, spread through infected surfaces and can remain in the air and on the surface for up to two hours after an infected person has left a particular area.
What is the measles isolation protocol?
People infected with measles must be isolated for four days after developing the rash, and the rash date is considered to be zero days.
Is there a measles vaccine available?
Yes, according to the CDC, it is very effective and safe. The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines, which have been available for over half a century, are effective at preventing measles at two standard doses, and 93% at a single dose. Vaccines are usually given to people as children, one dose is administered between 12 and 15 months and the other between the ages of 4 and 6. Vaccines generally provide long-term or lifelong protection. Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said that if you are unsure about their vaccination status and you are unsure about the adult vaccination status, there is no problem with taking the vaccine. Adults born after 1957 and vaccinated before 1968 should consider reassessment, NPR reported, noting that early measles vaccines are not very effective.
What was RFK Jr. saying about the measles outbreak and vaccines?
After initially claiming that the outbreak of measles was “not unusual,” Kennedy changed his attitude, deeming it “serious,” and in a statement since his escape on March 3, he said, “it’s a call for action to reaffirm our commitment to public health.” On April 6, Kennedy said, “The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.” In another follow-up post, the HHS leader touted “two extraordinary healers” that treats children who have suppressed measles in Texas with anti-inflammatory steroid budesonide and clarithromycin, an antibiotic used for bacterial infections. Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Center for Vaccine Education at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, said budesonide has no role in treating measles, but clarithromycin is not the right antibiotic to treat secondary bacterial infections from measles. Kennedy promoted support for the vaccine in an interview with CBS News, saying, “The federal government’s position, my position is that people should get the measles vaccine,” but the government has not said it should require a vaccine. A vaccine skeptic, Kennedy supports the use of vitamin A under physician supervision to treat people with measles, and has generated concerns among health experts who have warned about the effectiveness of the vitamin. American Academy of Pediatrics President Sue Cresley told the Washington Post that he only relies on vitamin A in place of the MMR vaccine.
Important Quotes
“Due to the highly contagious nature of the disease, additional cases could occur in the outbreak area and surrounding communities, according to the Texas Department of Health.”
Important background
The outbreak of measles in Texas began in late January with just two cases, becoming the state’s biggest virus outbreak in 30 years. In its 2023-2024 student vaccination status report, the Texas Department of Health said 5.64% of Texas kindergarten students were not vaccinated because of measles, while 2.34% of seventh graders had not received the vaccine. According to the CDC, measles was completely eliminated in 2000. In other words, the virus has not spread across the country, and new cases only came from people who contracted measles overseas and returned to the US in 2024.
Read more
If measles cases are on the rise in the US, do adults need a vaccine booster? (NPR)
