The states where measles are attacking in the USA
THE DETAILS …
A rapidly escalating measles outbreak in West Texas and New Mexico has infected over 250 people, predominantly unvaccinated school-age children, marking a significant public health crisis as reported on March 11, 2025. The outbreak, which originated in late January in Gaines County, Texas—a rural agricultural area with historically low vaccination rates—has resulted in 223 confirmed cases in Texas, with 29 hospitalizations and the first U.S. measles death in a decade, an unvaccinated child. The virus has also spread to neighboring counties in Texas, including Terry, Dawson, Yoakum, Cochran, and Lubbock, highlighting the challenges of containing such a highly contagious disease in under-vaccinated communities, particularly within the local Mennonite population, which has traditionally shunned medical interventions.
In New Mexico, an outbreak in Lea County, which borders Gaines County, has been declared, with 29 cases reported, though not officially linked to the Texas outbreak, officials suspect a connection due to geographic proximity and similar demographic patterns. The majority of cases in New Mexico involve adults, where vaccination rates are significantly lower, with only 55 percent of adults having received both doses of the MMR vaccine, compared to a higher childhood vaccination rate of 94 percent. Tragically, a second death was reported in Lea County, an unvaccinated resident, though officials have yet to confirm measles as the definitive cause, underscoring the severe risks to unvaccinated populations and the potential for further spread as travel seasons approach.
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Beyond Texas and New Mexico, isolated measles cases have been reported in eleven other states—Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington—typically linked to international travel, emphasizing the global nature of the threat. Additionally, two cases in Oklahoma have been connected to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, though specific county locations in Oklahoma remain undisclosed. These widespread incidents highlight the critical role of vaccination in preventing outbreaks, with the MMR vaccine being 97 percent effective, and serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of declining vaccination rates, particularly as public health responses navigate the controversial tenure of a vaccine-skeptical health secretary.
MY TAKE: This all stems from the border invasion under the Biden adminstration.