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2h ago

Texas Declares West Texas Measles Outbreak Over After 42 Days With No New Cases

Officials warn low vaccination coverage leaves communities vulnerable.

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A view shows MMR vaccine at the City of Lubbock Health Department in Lubbock, Texas, U.S. February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Annie Rice/File photo
FILE - Vials of the measles mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are displayed in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
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Overview

  • The outbreak totaled 762 confirmed cases since late January, with 99 hospitalizations and two deaths in unvaccinated school‑aged children.
  • Public health criteria mark an outbreak’s end after two full incubation periods without transmission, and the last linked Texas case was reported July 1.
  • Gaines County accounted for 414 cases, and most infections were in unvaccinated or unknown‑status individuals, with more than two‑thirds occurring in children.
  • DSHS will continue surveillance but discontinue its interactive outbreak dashboard, urging clinicians to test suspected cases and residents to receive MMR vaccination.
  • The Texas cluster contributed to a national surge, with the CDC reporting about 1,356 U.S. cases this year and linked spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Mexico and Canada.