Measles Outbreak in West Texas

With the decrease of vaccinations in a county in west Texas, a measles outbreak has been primarily affecting children; at least 49 have caught the virus. But before we jump into that, what actually is the measles? A very contagious disease that can be passed through the air, measles can lead to various problems and in some cases, result in death. While it is most common in kids, anyone who is unvaccinated against the disease or for whom the vaccine did not kick in can be affected. Typical symptoms include a fever, runny nose, white spots inside your cheeks, and rashes across the body. It is not to be taken lightly considering that it resulted in over 107,000 deaths in 2023. Regarding the new outbreak, most of the cases have been found within Gaines County, which in recent years, shows data that 18% of students are abstaining from taking the vaccine. Although Texas has mandated their public school students to be up to date on all of their vaccines, parents can apply their children out of receiving them for religious reasons; a little over 13% of students did not get vaccinated, resulting in contagious diseases like this being spread from one person to another.

Works Cited

Edwards, Erika, et al. "In rural West Texas, a measles outbreak grows with no end in sight." NBC News, 14 Feb. 2025, www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/measles-outbreak-west-texas-grows-unvaccinated-rcna192163. Accessed 17 Feb. 2025.

"Measles." World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles. Accessed 17 Feb. 2025.

Rosenbluth, Teddy. "Measles Outbreak Hits Town in Texas." New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/science/measles-vaccination-texas.html. Accessed 17 Feb. 2025.