Texas Faces Largest Measles Outbreak in Decades as Vaccination Rates Decline

The outbreak has led to the first U.S. measles death in a decade and highlights challenges in public health response and vaccine hesitancy.

Texas has reported 124 measles cases in just one month, with one child dying and 18 others hospitalized, marking the largest outbreak in nearly 30 years.
The outbreak is concentrated in Gaines County, which has one of the state's lowest vaccination rates at 82%, far below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity.
State and local officials have encouraged vaccination but have not imposed stricter measures like excluding unvaccinated students from schools or enforcing quarantines.
Health experts attribute the outbreak to increased vaccine hesitancy fueled by misinformation and decreased trust in public health authorities following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has faced criticism for downplaying the outbreak and his history of spreading vaccine misinformation.