Adults can suffer severe infection if they get the measles prompting concerns about whether some should get a booster, or revaccinated. Doctors also add, you may consider a booster if you have international travel plans. NBC 5 health reporter Bianca Castro took questions to Parkland Health’s Dr. Donna Persaud.
Four additional cases of measles have been confirmed in North Texas. The Paris-Lamar County Health District confirmed the cases in people aged 5 months to adults.
The health department said the infected people were not vaccinated and traveled to Gaines County during the measles outbreak there.
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WATCH HEREThe Paris-Lamar County Health District and the Texas Department of State Health Services are investigating the cases and conducting contact tracing to identify possible exposures and limit further spread of the disease.
Because of the highly contagious nature of measles, additional cases are expected to occur, especially in unvaccinated people.
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SIGN UP “Measles is a serious yet preventable disease,” said Dr. Amanda Green, PLCHD local health authority. “Staying up to date on vaccinations is the most effective way to safeguard yourself, your loved ones, and the community from this highly contagious illness. With these recent cases, it’s more important than ever to ensure your immunizations are current.”
Meanwhile, the Texas DSHS said Friday that the total number of cases in the state has climbed to 259 since late January. So far there have been 34 people hospitalized and one death. The fatality was an unvaccinated school-aged child that lived in the outbreak area.
Aside from the recent cases in Lamar County, most cases continue to be concentrated in West Texas in the South Plains and Panhandle regions.
The 259 cases tied to the West Texas outbreak came from the following counties: Cochran (6), Dallam (6), Dawson (11), Ector (2), Gaines (174), Lamar (4), Lubbock (4), Lynn (2), Martin (3), Terry (36) and Yoakum (11). DSHS data showed that 86 patients were between 0 and 4 years old, 115 were between 5 and 17 years old, and 46 were 18+. The ages of 12 patients are still unconfirmed.
Cases confirmed in Rockwall, Travis, and Harris counties were determined to have originated from international travel and were not tied to the outbreak in West Texas.
Measles in Texas
What is measles?
Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to nine out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed.
Most kids will recover from measles if they get it, but infection can lead to dangerous complications like pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling, and death.
Is the vaccine safe?
Yes, the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective in preventing measles infection and severe cases of the disease.
The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old, and the second for children between 4 and 6 years old. The vaccine series is required for kids before kindergarten in public schools nationwide.
Before the vaccine was introduced in 1963, the U.S. saw some 3 million to 4 million cases per year. Now, there are usually fewer than 200 in a normal year.
There is no link between the vaccine and autism, despite a now-discredited study and health disinformation.
Why do vaccination rates matter?
In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”
But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.
The U.S. saw a rise in measles cases in 2024, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened more than 60. Five years earlier, measles cases were the worst in almost three decades in 2019.
Gaines County 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 said that number is likely higher because it doesn’t include many children who are homeschooled and whose data would not be reported.
What are public health officials doing to stop the spread?
Health workers are hosting regular vaccination clinics and screening efforts in Texas, as well as working with schools to educate people about the importance of vaccination and offering shots.
