Measles Outbreak Prompts Texas Parents to Reconsider Vaccination for Their Children

LUBBOCK, Texas — As Texas faces a growing measles outbreak, parents who previously opted out of vaccinating their children are now seeking immunization. With 124 confirmed cases reported since late January, including a significant number among unvaccinated children, health officials are urging families to protect their kids with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR).

Katherine Wells, director of public health for Lubbock‘s health department, stated, “People are more and more nervous as they watch the outbreaks, mostly among children. We’ve vaccinated multiple kids that have never been vaccinated before, some from families that didn’t believe in vaccines.” Reportedly, about half of the MMR doses given last week were to previously unvaccinated children.

The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed 124 cases of measles since the outbreak began, primarily clustered in Western Texas near the New Mexico border. Out of those affected, 18 individuals have been hospitalized, primarily due to breathing difficulties associated with the illness. Babies, school-aged kids, and teenagers account for 101 of the reported cases, most of whom had not received the second required MMR shot.

The MMR vaccine is proven to be 97% effective when administered in two doses, yet that is not sufficient in preventing outbreaks when vaccination rates decrease. Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services revealed that 94% of kindergarteners and 97.6% of seventh graders in Texas received the MMR vaccine during the 2023-24 school year, a decline from pre-pandemic figures.

To address the outbreak’s spread, mobile health care units have been deployed, offering measles testing and vaccinations in the parking lots of emergency departments. Chad Curry, training chief for the University Medical Center EMS, noted, “We’re trying to lessen the blow by using the bus to keep them out of the hospital because measles is so contagious and airborne.”

The rapid escalation of cases has prompted concern among health authorities about the possibility of further spread, especially after a person traveled outside the outbreak area and visited venues like the University of Texas at San Antonio campus. Wells described the symptoms of the outbreak as “textbook,” including high fevers, coughing, and a characteristic rash that begins at the scalp and spreads down the body.

Dr. Ronald Cook, chief health officer at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, expressed worries about the manpower required for contact tracing to prevent further exposure: “My biggest concern right now is the manpower needed to do all of the contact tracing. We’re managing right now, but if this grows any bigger, we’re going to need some more help.”

Even as vaccination efforts ramp up, the stigma around the MMR vaccine continues to loom. The rise in vaccine hesitancy linked to the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted vaccination rates across the U.S., leading experts to warn of potential surges in other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Catherine Troisi, an epidemiologist at the UTHealth School of Public Health, emphasized the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates, stating, “Measles, as the most infectious virus, is the first thing we see when vaccination rates go down. It may be a harbinger of other vaccine-preventable diseases.”