Texas Measles Outbreak Could Take a Year to Contain, Health Official Warns

The Texas measles outbreak continues to grow in the South Plains and Panhandle regions, with 279 confirmed cases since late January, according to new data published by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).¹

Public health official warns the expanding measles outbreak could last a year. | Image credit: CrackerClips - stock.adobe.com

“This is going to be a large outbreak, and we are still on the side where we are increasing the number of cases,” said Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health, at a briefing Tuesday, according to CNN.² “I’m really thinking this is going to be a year long.”

According to the report, there was 1 fatality in a school-aged child who lived in the outbreak area, who was not vaccinated and had no underlying conditions.¹

After further investigation, the DSHS has reclassified 3 measles cases previously labeled as vaccinated. Two of these individuals received their vaccine doses 1 to 2 days before symptoms appeared, after being exposed to the virus. Since it takes about 14 days for the body to develop immunity to measles, individuals are not considered fully vaccinated until this period has passed.

The third case involved a Lubbock County resident who experienced a vaccine reaction, not a measles infection, as confirmed by MeVA testing, which detected the vaccine strain. This case has been removed from the total count. While the measles vaccine can sometimes cause a rash and fever that resemble measles, it does not result in an infection and cannot be spread to others, the report stated.

Last week, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) reported 2 measles cases in the state, which they believed to be linked to the ongoing outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico.³

After learning they had been exposed to measles, the individuals took appropriate precautions by promptly isolating themselves from public places and staying home during their contagious period. By adhering to public health guidelines following their exposure, they successfully prevented the risk of spreading measles to others.

“These cases highlight the importance of being aware of measles activity as people travel or host visitors,” said Kendra Dougherty, director of Infectious Disease Prevention and Response at OSDH, in a statement. “When people know they have exposure risk and do not have immunity to measles, they can exclude themselves from public settings for the recommended duration to eliminate the risk of transmission in their community.”

On Tuesday, officials at the briefing emphasized that increased testing capacity will be crucial in controlling the outbreak.² New labs have been established in Lubbock, near the outbreak’s epicenter, allowing specimens to be processed locally rather than flown to Austin. This has cut the time for results from 72 hours to just 1 day.

Additionally, officials highlighted the importance of identifying cases, exposures, and unvaccinated individuals, referencing a similar strategy that helped contain a measles outbreak in Chicago last year.

"As long as there is a pool of unvaccinated people, the outbreak will continue to spread," said Olusimbo Ige, MD, MS, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, according to CNN. It’s difficult to say it has peaked unless all unvaccinated individuals are vaccinated."

Measles can be prevented with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is recommended for children at 12 to 15 months and again at 4 to 6 years of age, according to the CDC.⁴ Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing measles, and 1 dose is about 93% effective.

References

1. Measles outbreak – March 18, 2025. Texas Human and Health Services. News release. Published March 18, 2025. Accessed March 19, 2025. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025

2. Mukherjee N. Measles outbreak could last a year, health official in Texas says. CNN. March 19, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/18/health/measles-outbreak-texas-new-mexico-oklahoma/index.html

3. First cases of measles in Oklahoma reported. Oklahoma State Department of Health. News release. Published March 11, 2025. Accessed March 9, 2025. https://oklahoma.gov/health/news---events/newsroom/2025/first-cases-of-measles-in-oklahoma-reported.html

4. Measles vaccination. CDC. Published January 17, 2025. Accessed March 19, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccines/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fvaccines%2Fvpd%2Fmmr%2Fpublic%2Findex.html