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2mo ago

Texas Faces Largest Measles Outbreak in Decades as Vaccination Rates Decline

Low immunization levels and misinformation drive a surge in measles cases, with two deaths reported in 2025 across the U.S.

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - MARCH 01: Twelve year old Kyleigh Wilkes, receives an MMR vaccine from Raynard Covarrubio, at a vaccine clinic put on by Lubbock Public Health Department on March 1, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas. Cases of Measles are on the rise in West Texas as over 150 confirmed case have been seen with one confirmed death.(Photo by Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)
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A child holds a man's finger during a service at Community Church of Seminole, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Matt Caldwell, left, a Lubbock Fire Department official, administers a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to Clair May, 61, at the Lubbock Health Department, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas.

Overview

  • Texas has reported 198 measles cases in 2025, with Gaines County as the epicenter, marking the state’s largest outbreak in nearly 30 years.
  • Two deaths, including an unvaccinated child in Texas and an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico, have been linked to the outbreak this year.
  • Low vaccination rates, particularly in close-knit communities like the Mennonites, and widespread vaccine misinformation have fueled the spread of the disease.
  • Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has faced criticism for not strongly advocating vaccination, instead emphasizing personal choice and alternative measures like Vitamin A supplements.
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials warn that the outbreak is entirely preventable and stress the importance of achieving herd immunity through vaccination.