'In this for the long haul': Texas surpasses 500 measles cases since January
'In this for the long haul': Texas surpasses 500 measles cases since January
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posts endorsement of measles MMR vaccine on X
Health and Human Services secretary, and vaccine skeptic, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supports measles vaccine after visiting West Texas.
On Tuesday, Texas confirmed 505 measles cases in 22 counties.
About 70% of Texas' cases were in children under the age of 18.
Last week, the second school-aged child died from the measles virus in Texas.
Texas has officially surpassed 500 confirmed cases of measles since the start of the year.
On Tuesday, Texas confirmed 505 cases of measles in 22 counties since the virus outbreak that began in late-January, Director of Lubbock Public Health Katherine Wells said during a press conference. About 70% of these cases − 351, in fact − have been confirmed in children under the age of 18. Only five or six of the 505 individuals who contracted the virus were vaccinated, Wells added. This vaccination figure is likely higher, as tracking vaccination rates is difficult.
Last week, Tiny Tots U Learning Academy in Lubbock, a daycare that serves pre-K children, experienced a measles outbreak, with seven confirmed cases, Wells said during a press conference. As of Tuesday, more children were being tested from the daycare.
The continued climb of measles cases in Texas follows the second death of a school-aged child from the virus in Texas, reported on April 3.
"I think we're in this for the long haul," Wells said during a press conference.
Over the weekend, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been criticized for questioning the effectiveness of vaccines, said in an X post that he visited Gaines County, Texas to "be with the community in their moment of grief."
As of Tuesday, Gaines County remained the highest infected county in Texas, with 328 reported cases, Wells said during a press conference.
How many measles cases are there in the US?
On April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a total of 607 confirmed measles cases throughout 21 states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington.
But this nationwide number is growing. As of Tuesday, Indiana reported its first measles case in an unvaccinated minor.
RFK flips switch on vaccines, medical professionals respond
Repeatedly, Kennedy has encouraged people with measles to be treated with Vitamin A and cod liver oil, though there is not scientific evidence that supports this form of treatment. And multiple children in needed treatment for Vitamin A toxicity last week, after Kennedy's advisement.
The use of steroids, antibiotics or Vitamin A to treat measles is "misguided" and ineffective, John Hopkins Center for Health Security Senior Scholar Amesh Adalja said during a press conference on Tuesday.
After his visit to Texas over the weekend, Kennedy took to X to say that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the "most effective way to prevent the spread of measles."
More: RFK Jr.: MMR vaccine 'most effective way' to prevent measles after 2nd Texas child dies
Several medical professionals, including London-based infectious disease specialist Dr. Neil Stone, took to social media to express their surprise.
"Words I never thought I would hear Robert F Kennedy Jr. say," Stone said in an X post on Sunday. "He's absolutely 100% correct, and I'm encouraged that he is speaking responsibly about measles in the face of this tragic outbreak."
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus that primarily, and most severely, affects children. Measles infects the respiratory tract before spreading throughout the body, according to the World Health Organization.
The virus is one of the most contagious infectious diseases to exist. 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed end up contracting it. Additionally, one in five of those people end up hospitalized, according to the CDC.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Common measles symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery, red eyes. Some people will develop a flat, reddish-brown facial rash that eventually spreads to the neck, torso and rest of the body. When the rash appears, a person's fever may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Symptoms tend to appear a week or two after infection.
People are most contagious about four days before the rash appears and for about four days afterward. During this time, infection individuals should quarantine.
Other signs and symptoms of measles include:
Loss of appetite and diarrhea
Koplik spots, tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin
Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots (the spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body)
Can you get measles if you have been vaccinated?
Yes, individuals who have been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine can still contract the virus, but it's rare.
Roughly three out of 100 people who have received the two-dose vaccination may contract the virus when exposed, according to the CDC. Their symptoms tend to be milder and they are less likely to spread the virus.
Do adults need a measles booster?
Most vaccinated adults are immune to measles and do not need a booster shot, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, Natalie Neysa Alund, Terry Collins, Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
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