Texas measles cases are underreported, response hurt by funding cuts, CDC scientist says
Measles cases in Texas are underreported and the response by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is impacted by recent funding cuts, a scientist said.
"We do believe that there's quite a large amount of cases that are not reported and underreported," Dr. David Sugerman, CDC Senior Scientist, said during an Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting on Tuesday.
"In working very closely with our colleagues in Texas, in talking with families, they may mention prior cases that have recovered and never received testing. Other families that may have cases and never sought treatment," he said.
Sugerman took media questions following his presentation on the U.S. measles outbreak. Since measles was declared eliminated by the World Health Organization in 2000, there have been 11 large outbreaks in the U.S. with more than 50 cases, Sugerman said.
"Seven of these outbreaks occurred in the last five years and nine were among close-knit communities with low vaccine coverage," he said.
"There are funding limitations in light of COVID-19 funding dissipating," Sugerman said, referring to $12 billion from the Department of Health and Human Services hit by DOGE cuts last month, The Austin American-Statesman reported.
"They are mobilizing the resources they have and moving staff from other domains into measles, moving them from other regions into region one in particular," Sugerman said.
Measles cases have continued to surge in Texas since the outbreak first began in late January.
State health officials reported 561 confirmed cases across 23 counties on Tuesday, an increase of 20 from April 11.
Gaines County, the center of the outbreak in west Texas, now accounts for nearly 65% of the state's total cases.
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