Wednesday, March 26, 2025 - Measles cases in Texas and New Mexico have risen to 370, an increase of 19 infections since their previous reports four days ago.
This is as the United States deals with one of the largest measles
outbreaks in the past decade.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, cases in
Gaines County, the center of the current measles outbreak in the US that
started in late January, rose to 226 from 211 cases.
Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, showed
that the total from the two states has surpassed last year’s nationwide count
of 285 infections.
Since March 21, New Mexico has reported one additional case, bringing
its total to 43, while Texas reported 18 more cases, totaling 327 in the state.
Most of New Mexico’s cases were reported in Lea County, which is
adjacent to Gaines County in Texas.
In Texas, 325 cases were among people who were unvaccinated or their
vaccination status was unknown, up from 307 reported previously.
The latest New Mexico case is among the 31 infected individuals from the
state who were not vaccinated.
“It’s going to take time to control this outbreak unfortunately, because
there are still people who are resistant to receiving a vaccine,” a
pediatrician in Texas, Tammy Camp said.
In a health advisory on March 7, the CDC said that the risk for
widespread measles in the US remained low.
Infectious disease specialist at St. Jude’s Children’s Research
Hospital, Diego Hijano, said he agrees with the CDC’s assessment as a lot of
areas still have a high vaccination rate.
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has for years sown doubts
about the safety and efficacy of immunization, said last month he recognizes
the serious impact of the current measles outbreak in Texas, stating that the
government was providing resources, including vaccines.
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