On January 30, The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) announced the third and fourth cases of measles in Texas. These most recent cases were in unvaccinated school age children who were hospitalized in Lubbock, Texas, and have since been discharged. DSHS is supporting the South Plains Public Health District and Lubbock Public Health in the disease investigation.1
These newly identified cases are in addition to 2 other confirmed measles cases reported in unvaccinated adults of Harris County (Houston area) earlier in January. The Houston Health Department (HHD) identified the cases, which were associated with recent international travel. Both individuals reside in the same household and were unvaccinated against measles.2 No update has been provided on the adults and their care.
HHD has published a list of possible exposure locations and dates where members of the public may have been exposed to measles during the patients’ infectious periods. People who visited those locations at those times should ensure they are up to date on the measles vaccine and monitor themselves for measles symptoms. HHD will continue to update the exposure locations at Houston Measles Advisory.2
The Harris County cases were the first confirmed measles cases in Texas since 2023.1
Read more: A Comprehensive Look at Measles
What You Need to Know
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has reported four measles cases in Texas.
The CDC states that the measles virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. It is one of the most transmissible viruses, capable of infecting 9 out of 10 unvaccinated individuals exposed to it.
CDC data shows a decline in childhood vaccination rates, dropping from 95% to around 93% in recent years. This trend has led to small outbreaks across the country, with as many as 250,000 kindergarten-aged children not protected against measles.
Transmissibility of Measles
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the measles virus can live up to 2 hours in airspace after an infected person leaves an area and can linger on surfaces for hours. And, if you put a person with measles in a room with 10 people who have not been vaccinated or have not previously contracted measles, 9 of those people will also get the disease.3
In a previous interview with Contagion, Patricia A. Stinchfield, RN, MS, CPNP, former president, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) discussed the airborne disease. “Measles is the most contagious and easily transmittable virus we know—far more than COVID or influenza,” she said.
During her career as a pediatric nurse practitioner, Stinchfield has treated numerous measles cases. She oversaw 3 outbreaks, and says that when young children come in with measles, they are “some of the sickest children.”
US Experiencing Dropping Vaccination Rates
Over the last few years, the US childhood vaccination rates have been dropping causing small outbreaks across the US.
CDC reports there has been a trend showing a reduction in children getting their standard immunizations. In January 2023, the CDC reported that over the last 2 school years, the national coverage for childhood state-required vaccines among kindergarten students declined from 95% to approximately 93%. During the 2020-21 school year, vaccinations dropped to 94% and during the 2021-22 school year it dropped again to approximately 93%.3
And while this does not sound like a large number, it still represents thousands of young children not getting their vaccinations. It is also a disturbing trend as some families may feel they do not need them or are fearful of vaccines.
“Compared with the 2020–21 school year, vaccination coverage decreased 0.4–0.9 percentage points for all vaccines. Although 2.6% of kindergartners had an exemption for at least 1 vaccine, an additional 3.9% who did not have an exemption were not up to date with MMR,” the investigators wrote in an MMWR last year.3
This is the lowest rate of vaccination in over a decade, the CDC states. And the MMWR report said that as many as 250,000 kindergartners are not protected against measles.3
References
1. State health officials urge vigilance as additional measles cases are identified. Texas Department of State Health Services press release. January 30, 2025. Accessed February 3, 2025.
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/state-health-officials-urge-vigilance-additional-measles-cases-are-identified
2. Confirmed Case of Measles - January 2025. The Texas Department of State Health Services press release. January 23, 2025. Accessed February 3, 2025.
3.Parkinson J. Measles Outbreak in Philadelphia Prompts Caution, Calls for MMR Vaccination. ContagionLive.com. January 8, 2024.
https://www.contagionlive.com/view/measles-outbreak-in-philadelphia-prompts-caution-calls-for-mmr-vaccination
