The measles outbreak that continues to spread in rural West Texas has risen to 223 confirmed cases, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported on Tuesday.
The majority of the cases continue to be concentrated in Gaines County — where 156 infections have been recorded — followed by Terry County, just north of Gaines, which is now reporting 32 cases. Gaines has one of the highest rates in Texas of school-aged children who opt out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% of K-12 children in the 2023-24 school year. Health officials say that number is likely higher because it doesn't include many children who are homeschooled and whose data would not be reported.
The one death in Texas so far was of a school-aged child who was not vaccinated and had no underlying conditions. The rising cases are not something likely to persuade the largely Mennonite community who cite "personal choice" and a deep post-COVID-19 distrust of the federal government as reasons for their vaccine hesitancy.
Maria Romano, a hair stylist in the county, told The Wall Street Journal, "[The press is] just making a big deal of it. I've been working with people who have had it. We didn't get it. I don't think that everybody can get it that easy."
Romano, who is from Mexico but not part of the Mennonite community, didn't recall if she received a measles vaccine but dismisses their effectiveness in general. When asked about the COVID-19 vaccine, she responded, "This is West Texas. We don't believe in that."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also confirmed 10 measles cases in New Mexico, which has also reported a death due to the illness. Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington have also reported small numbers of cases.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the CDC. The virus can lead to severe complications, particularly in children. Before the vaccine was introduced in 1963, the U.S. saw some 3 million to 4 million cases per year. Now, it's usually fewer than 200 in a typical year.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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