Since late January, 159 cases have been reported in the South Plains region of the state, with 22 hospitalizations and the death of one child, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Here are five notes:
- The CDC announced on X that it has sent Epidemic Intelligence Service officers, also known as “disease detectives,” to assist Texas officials with the outbreak response, The New York Times reported March 4.
- One school-age child in the outbreak area in Texas who was unvaccinated and had no underlying conditions died from measles, marking the first U.S. measles death in 10 years.
- As of Feb. 27, the CDC has reported 164 measles cases across nine states: Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island and Texas. Three outbreaks, defined as three or more related cases, have been recorded this year.
- Of the 164 measles cases in 2025, 153 or 93% are tied to outbreak clusters. In comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported in 2024, with 69% of cases being outbreak related.
- The CDC is supplying vaccines and lab resources to help track the outbreak. The agency sent 2,000 MMR shots to Texas, though HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not explicitly urged vaccinations, maintaining that “the decision to vaccinate is a personal one,” according to the Times.
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