A child in Lubbock died on Tuesday of measles, and by Friday the outbreak in West Texas had reached 146 cases. Hospitalizations rose by two, from 18 to 20.
The child was unvaccinated. It is the first measles death in the United States since 2015. The facility that treated the child told The Associated Press the family did not live in Lubbock County.
Who is getting sick
Of the 146 cases, 70 are children and teens between five and 17 years old, and 46 are four or younger. Most involve unvaccinated people or people whose vaccination status is unknown. Five of the infected had been vaccinated before. Health officials say the real total could be higher because some cases go unreported or unconfirmed. The count is up 22 from the last update.
Gaines County is the center of the outbreak with 98 cases, close to 100. At least eight other counties have reported infections, and Terry County has 21. A state health department spokesperson told The Associated Press that West Texas cases have been concentrated in a “close-knit, undervaccinated” Mennonite community.
“Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities,” the Texas Department of State Health Services said.
Exposure alerts reach San Antonio
Officials warned of possible exposures in San Marcos and San Antonio over Valentine’s Day weekend, after a person later diagnosed with measles visited both areas. “There is a very good possibility that hundreds of thousands of folks have come in contact with (the person),” Metro Health Deputy Director Dr. Anita Kurian said, according to KSAT.
Measles can survive in the air for up to two hours, so contact does not have to be close. Dr. Peter Hotez of Texas Children’s Hospital pointed to large gatherings such as the Houston Rodeo, which many West Texas families attend, as a possible way for the virus to travel.
In Dallas, officials are reviewing school vaccination records and warning districts with high exemption rates. “We’re trying to identify vulnerable communities and improve vaccination rates as much as possible,” said Dr. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services.
Politics and the vaccine question
Mobile vaccination clinics have opened in affected areas. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has not addressed the weeks-long outbreak in press conferences, The Texas Tribune reported, and his office did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday.
Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett told the Tribune that attitudes about vaccines have grown touchy since COVID. “We need to be very careful about how we address this topic,” he said. “Our job is to provide the resources, not to tell people what they need to do.”
Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health, was blunter: “We’re going to see continued increases in cases until we get more vaccinations into our community.”
Beyond Texas
Since the start of 2025 the CDC has reported 164 measles cases across nine states, and a significant portion are linked to the Texas outbreak. Kentucky reported a case in an adult who had recently traveled internationally and visited a fitness center in Frankfort while infectious. State health officials are trying to contact people who may have been exposed.
“Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world,” said Kentucky Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack. He noted that the MMR vaccine is safe and effective. One in five infected people needs hospital care, and the disease can cause pneumonia and brain swelling.
Sources
- Texas measles outbreak grows to nearly 150 cases as more patients are hospitalized
- West Texas Measles Outbreak Nears 150 Cases, Raising Concerns
