Texas Faces Largest Measles Outbreak in Decades, With One Child Dead

The outbreak, concentrated in rural West Texas, highlights vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and challenges in public health outreach.

Nearly 150 measles cases have been reported in West Texas since January, marking the largest outbreak in decades and resulting in the first U.S. measles death in 10 years.
The outbreak has disproportionately affected unvaccinated individuals, including children, with severe cases requiring hospitalization and intubation in some instances.
Misinformation, distrust in public health, and vaccine skepticism, particularly in Mennonite communities, have contributed to low vaccination rates in the region.
Health officials are struggling to combat the spread due to rural isolation, limited resources, and resistance to government recommendations, with local vaccination rates below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, has called the MMR vaccine decision 'personal' but emphasized its role in preventing disease and protecting community health.