The Texas measles outbreak has grown to 505 cases, or more than double the number of people infected one month ago, according to state health records released Tuesday.
Four weeks prior, on March 11, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 223 cases stemming from the outbreak that originated in Gaines County, a county in the southern Panhandle, just across the border from New Mexico.
So far, two children, both unvaccinated, have died from measles during the outbreak, which is the state’s worst in three decades. Two other states, New Mexico and Oklahoma, have also reported cases linked to the disease’s spread in Texas.
Health experts have warned the Texas could find itself in the epicenter of a national epidemic if its leaders don’t increase efforts to boost vaccination rates and contain the spread of the highly infectious ailment. However, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has been largely silent about the outbreak and has so far issued no public statement urging people to get vaccinated.
Tuesday’s numbers from state health officials also show the number of Texas counties reporting cases has jumped to 21 from 19, and the number of people that have been hospitalized since the outbreak began in January has now reached 57.
So far, 495 of the Texas cases have been among people who are either unvaccinated or have uncertain vaccination status, according to state data.
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This article appears in Apr 2-15, 2025.
