Number of Measles cases in Texas increases to 422: Officials
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Texas reported 422 measles cases, up from 400 on March 28, as the United States grapples with one of the most significant disease outbreaks in the past decade.
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A vial of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is on display at the Lubbock Health Department on February 26, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP)
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the measles case count in Texas has increased to 422.
In a statement on Tuesday, the department said, "The Texas Department of State Health Services is reporting an outbreak of measles in the South Plains and Panhandle regions of Texas."
At this time, 422 cases have been identified since late January. 42 of the patients have been hospitalized.
In late February, Texas reported its first measles-related death, involving a young child who was unvaccinated.
Last month, The Guardian reported on March 23 that the growing measles outbreak in Texas surpassed last year's national case count, with 309 confirmed infections, 40 hospitalizations, and one death—an unvaccinated six-year-old girl. The outbreak has now spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma, and several other states, fueled by vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
Health officials warn that the outbreak could continue for a year. "I never thought in 2025, we would be looking at this resurgence of measles," said Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health. "And I didn't know it'd be in my backyard, either."
The girl's parents, speaking in a video with Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group formerly led by Robert F Kennedy Jr., rejected the MMR vaccine. "We would absolutely not take the MMR," said her mother. "The measles wasn't that bad. They got over it." Her father added, "It's not as bad as the media is making it out to be."
Kennedy has avoided recommending vaccines during the outbreak, instead promoting alternative treatments and suggesting the child may have been unhealthy—despite reports showing she had no underlying conditions.
It is worth noting that after this, reports said on March 29 that the top US vaccine official resigned, citing the "misinformation and lies" he said were peddled by the incoming health secretary.
