New Mexico Gov said measles reporting may look different as cases rise

Yahoo

11-04-2025

Blood sample positive with Measles virus. (iStock / Getty Images Plus)
New Mexico measles tracking may be more extensive in coming months as cases continue to rise in the state's southeast corner.
The New Mexico Department of Health on Friday reported two additional measles cases for children ages 0 to 4-years old in Lea Count, as well as two additional hospitalizations there. The two new cases are not related to the hospitalizations, NMDOH Director of Communications Robert Nott told Source NM.
Reported measles infections have so far been limited to three counties in the Southeast corner: Lea, Eddy and Chaves counties. Of the 58 total cases, the infections break down into: 15 cases in very young children; 16 cases in school-aged children ages 7 to 17; and 27 cases in adults.
In response to questions from Source earlier this week, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the state would expand its measles reporting, somewhat in line with what was done with COVID-19, as cases grow.
'We'll do a rate of infection,' she said, 'and start to map that out.'
The governor said the health department also would expand its 'whole measles education' outreach 'because infants to one-year-olds can't have the vaccine, which means there's no protection for them, so we have to really think about exposure where they are.' She said people can expect regular briefings on measles and infectious diseases. 'It's a great place for me to pitch,' she said. 'Please get a vaccine. If you haven't had a measles vaccine, get one. If you think you need a booster, get one. They're free.'
The governor also noted her concern about the federal government's recent cancellation of billions of dollars in public health grants alongside massive layoffs. 'More than 50% of our budget is based in federal funds,' she said, and 'public health is a serious issue.'
Nott previously told Source that the state lost approximately $60 million in federal funds. More recently, he confirmed that the department had canceled some contracts with 'community providers that provide outreach to underserved communities relating to vaccination efforts and education.'
The department also lost 37 temporary staff, he said, 20 of whom helped order vaccines and checked vaccination records; four of whom worked in IT; and 13 who were community health workers with the department's Office of Border Health based in Las Cruces.
Measles cases continue to rise elsewhere in the country, more than double the total cases reported in 2024. Texas health officials reported an additional 36 cases there, bringing the total to 541.
Measles is a highly infectious respiratory disease spread through contact with droplets from infected people's coughs. These droplets can survive for hours in the air. People can transmit measles days before showing any of the symptoms such as fever, red eyes, cough, headache or the spotty red rash on the face and body.
An estimated one in five cases has serious complications warranting hospitalization, including brain swelling, pneumonia or death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Two doses of a vaccine is the best prevention against measles, according to health officials.
Between Feb. 1 until April 10, more than 17,346 New Mexicans received vaccines, including 9,494 children and 7,852 adults. The latest data from Tuesday, shows that New Mexico's vaccination rate is more than double the same time frame in 2024.
NMDOH is hosting 10 walk-in clinics for eight Southeastern counties, which you can find on the department's measles webpage, along with vaccine clinic events across the state.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX