Texas Faces Largest Measles Outbreak in Decades, With 159 Cases and First U.S. Death Since 2015

The outbreak, centered in rural West Texas, highlights vaccine hesitancy and rising nonmedical exemptions as health officials urge immunization.

The Texas measles outbreak has reached 159 cases, primarily affecting unvaccinated school-aged children, with one child death reported—the first U.S. measles fatality in a decade.
Gaines County is the epicenter of the outbreak, reporting 107 cases, while cases have also been confirmed in eight other Texas counties and neighboring New Mexico.
Health experts warn that measles is highly contagious, with 90% of unvaccinated individuals exposed to the virus likely to contract it, and 22 people have been hospitalized so far.
The outbreak is linked to low vaccination rates, with Gaines County reporting a 13.6% nonmedical vaccine exemption rate among K-12 students in the 2023-2024 school year.
Officials are intensifying vaccination campaigns, offering MMR vaccine clinics statewide, as misinformation and vaccine hesitancy continue to challenge containment efforts.