Fifteen measles instances — largely in school-aged youngsters — have been confirmed in a small county in West Texas with one of many highest charges of vaccine exemptions within the state.
South Plains Public Well being District Director Zach Holbrooks mentioned Monday that his division was first notified in late January concerning the first two instances in Gaines County, which he mentioned had been “two youngsters who had seen a doctor in Lubbock.”
A number of the instances look like related to personal spiritual faculties within the district, mentioned Holbrooks, who cautioned that the investigation is ongoing.
“I wouldn’t say they’re all related, however our groups are wanting into publicity websites and the background of these instances,” he mentioned.
Native well being officers arrange a drive-through vaccination clinic final week and are providing screening companies to residents.
The U.S. noticed a rise in measles cases in 2024, together with an outbreak in Chicago that sickened greater than 60. This month, well being officers in metro Atlanta are working to comprise a measles case that unfold to 2 unvaccinated members of the family.
Texas legislation permits youngsters to get an exemption from faculty vaccines for causes of conscience, together with spiritual beliefs. The proportion of youngsters with exemptions has risen during the last decade from .76% in 2014 to 2.32% final yr, in accordance with Texas Department of State Health Services data.
Gaines County has one of many highest charges in Texas of school-aged youngsters who choose out of a minimum of one required vaccine: Almost 14% of kids from kindergarten via grade 12 had an exemption within the 2023-24 faculty yr, which is greater than 5 occasions the state common of two.32% and past the nationwide charge of three.3%.
However the variety of unvaccinated children within the county is probably going considerably increased, DSHS spokeswoman Lara Anton mentioned, as a result of Gaines County has many youngsters who’re homeschooled and whose knowledge wouldn’t be reported.
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccines is a two-shot sequence: The primary is really helpful at 12 to fifteen months outdated and second between 4 to six years outdated. The vaccine is required to attend most public faculties within the U.S.
However vaccination charges have declined nationwide because the COVID-19 pandemic and most states are under the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners — the extent wanted to guard communities towards measles outbreaks. Lawmakers throughout the nation have proposed various vaccine requirement changes at a time when anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is awaiting confirmation as the secretary of Health and Human Services.
One of many early Gaines County instances traveled to neighboring New Mexico whereas they had been nonetheless infectious, Anton mentioned, however there have been no rapid experiences of an infection. New Mexico Division of Well being spokesman Robert Nott mentioned the company has been in communication with Texas officers however there was no recognized publicity to measles in his state.
“We’re going to look at this very intently,” Nott mentioned.
Two instances of measles had been reported in early January within the Houston space, however Holbrooks mentioned the West Texas instances don’t look like related.
Measles is a extremely contagious virus that may survive within the air for as much as two hours. As much as 9 out of 10 people who find themselves vulnerable will get the virus if uncovered, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Earlier than the vaccine was launched in 1963, the U.S. noticed some 3 million to 4 million instances per yr. Now, it’s normally fewer than 200 in a standard yr.
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The Related Press Well being and Science Division receives assist from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Academic Media Group and the Robert Wooden Johnson Basis. The AP is solely chargeable for all content material.
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