Measles outbreak nears 300 cases, more than 30 hospitalizations in Texas and New Mexico

The ongoing measles outbreak along the Texas-New Mexico border is approaching 300 cases with more than 30 hospitalizations in Gaines County, Texas, and Lea County, New Mexico, according to state officials in both jurisdictions. 

The latest update from the Texas Department of State Health Services on Tuesday confirmed that 279 measles cases have been identified in the state since late January, connected to 36 hospitalizations. One fatality was reported in Texas last month, a school-aged child who was not vaccinated against the disease. Thirty-eight cases have been reported by the New Mexico Department of Health. 

Together, the cases in these two Southwestern states outstrip the total number of cases recorded in 2024. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause serious health complications, like pneumonia, especially for young children who are not vaccinated. 

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but new cases have emerged as vaccination rates against the virus have declined, health experts warned. Indeed, 99% of those infected in Texas were not vaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown, the state data show.