Overview

• The Texas Department of State Health Services declared the outbreak over on Aug. 18 after 42 days without a new case and recorded 762 infections, 99 hospitalizations and two child deaths.
• More than 94% of the cases occurred in unvaccinated people, with two-thirds of infections affecting children and teens.
• Health officials said the outbreak originated in a religious community in Gaines County and spread to other Texas counties, neighboring U.S. states and Mexico.
• State vaccination clinics, testing sites and outreach campaigns drove a 14% increase in MMR doses during the first half of 2025.
• Kindergarten MMR coverage fell to 92.7%–94.8%, below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity, as nonmedical exemptions rose under recent opt-out legislation.