Latest news with #SouthPlainsPublicHealthDistrict
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Unvaccinated child dies amid Texas measles outbreak, first death in US since 2015
Texas officials on Wednesday announced the first death in the state's ongoing measles outbreak. A school-age child has died of measles in West Texas, the first death from the disease in the U.S. since 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Gaines County resident died in Lubbock, Zach Holbrooks, public health director and executive director of the South Plains Public Health District, said in an email. In a statement, Lubbock city and Texas health officials confirmed the patient was an unvaccinated school-aged child who died in the last 24 hours. So far, 124 people are known to have been infected, mostly among people who weren't vaccinated or had no known vaccination status, state data showed. There have been 18 people hospitalized. Measles — also called rubeola — is highly contagious and can be serious and even fatal for small children. While death rates have been falling worldwide as more children receive the measles vaccine, the disease still kills more than 200,000 people a year, mostly children, according to Mayo According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. A high percentage of people were receiving effective measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines. As per the CDC, the decline in measles vaccination rates globally increases the risk of larger measles outbreaks worldwide. Global measles activity is increasing, meaning more chances of an unvaccinated person infected with measles abroad returning to the U.S. The CDC also says MMR vaccination rates for U.S. kindergarteners have fallen below the 95% target and are even lower in certain communities, with the trend continuing downward. The first symptoms of measles last two to three days and are non-specific and mild. Here's what to pay attention to if an unvaccinated child or person is feeling ill: Cough Runny nose Itchy, watery eyes A high fever Small white spots (Koplik's spots) inside the inner lining of the cheek. A red rash usually develops three to five days after the first symptoms. It looks like small raised bumps that erupt on the face and near the hairline, giving it a "splotchy red appearance" and then spreading down to the rest of the body. There is a vaccine. The CDC recommends getting vaccinated with two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine according to the immunization schedule. Ideally, children between 12 and 15 months get their first dose, followed by a second dose at 4 to 6 years old. -USA TODAY Network Health and Wellness reporter Eduardo Cuevas contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Child dies amid Texas measles outbreak, first death in US since 2015
NBC News
18-02-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Measles outbreak grows bigger in rural Texas, and officials say expect more cases
At least 58 new cases of measles have been reported across northwest Texas in recent weeks, state health officials said Tuesday, in a "highly contagious" outbreak that might be linked to lack of vaccination. A bulk of these new cases in rural northwest Texas are in Gaines County with 45 documented incidents of the disease, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. In the last three weeks, nine cases have come from Terry County, two from Yoakum County and one each from Lubbock and Lynn Counties, according to the state. At least four patients had been vaccinated, but the "rest are unvaccinated, or their vaccination status is unknown," the health department said. Most of the infections are in school-age kids, and 13 have been hospitalized. More cases are expected. "Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in Gaines County and the surrounding communities," according to the state health officials. "DSHS is working with South Plains Public Health District and Lubbock Public Health to investigate the outbreak." The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate last week confirmed long-time vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He's been particularly critical of the , vaccines, which he's baselessly linked to autism.
Fox News
18-02-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Measles outbreak continues to worsen among kids in this US state
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has been tracking a measles outbreak in the South Plains region of the state. The agency first confirmed the outbreak on Feb. 5, and it has since been growing. A Tuesday update stated that 58 cases have been identified within the last three weeks as symptoms occurred. Most of the cases have been reported in children, with 15 cases affecting kids 4 years old and younger, 33 affecting kids 5 to 17, and only six cases occurring in adults. Ages are still pending for four of the cases. Thirteen of these patients have been hospitalized and only four are confirmed to be vaccinated, according to DSHS. The remaining patients are either unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. Forty-five measles cases have been reported in Gaines County; the others are spread across Terry County (9), Yoakum (2), Lubbock (1) and Lynn (1). "Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in Gaines County and the surrounding communities," DSHS reported in the update on its website. "There is a 90% chance you will get it if you are unvaccinated and step into a room where someone with measles was two hours before." "DSHS is working with South Plains Public Health District and Lubbock Public Health to investigate the outbreak." The agency added that the best way to prevent sickness is to receive two doses of the vaccine against measles, "primarily administered" as the combination measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunization. Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel commented on the threat of the spread. "It is spreading and there are [58] cases, but there will be hundreds because the compliance rate with the vaccine in that part of Texas is just over 80%, and we need 95% for herd immunity," he told Fox News Digital. Siegel described measles as the "most contagious respiratory virus on the planet." For more Health articles, visit "There is a 90% chance you will get it if you are unvaccinated and step into a room where someone with measles was two hours before," he cautioned. "Texas in general is at risk — especially the unvaccinated and those who can't take a live virus vaccine because they are pregnant or immunocompromised." The rise in cases comes more than two decades after health agencies reported that the disease was "eliminated" in 2000. Measles can be spread through direct contact with infectious droplets, or can be airborne when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, according to officials. The virus can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. Symptoms usually appear within a week or two, and may include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. A few days later, flat, red spots appear on the face and then spread down the neck to the rest of the body. People are most contagious the four days before and four days after the rash appears. Those who believe they may have measles or have been exposed should self-isolate and call their doctor before arriving to be tested, according to the DSHS.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas measles outbreak grows as cases appear in New Mexico
Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Additional measles cases "are likely to occur" as an outbreak of the virus grows, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in its latest update. So far, 48 cases have been reported in West Texas, with all of those occurring in people who were not vaccinated against the virus or who's vaccination status was unknown, state officials said in the update. Of those infected in the last three weeks, 13 people have been hospitalized. "Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in Gaines County and the surrounding communities," the state said. "DSHS is working with South Plains Public Health District and Lubbock Public Health to investigate the outbreak." Fourteen measles cases have been confirmed in five states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of Feb. 6. Besides Texas, they have been found in Alaska, Georgia, New York City, and Rhode Island. They are all unvaccinated or unknown, and 43% were hospitalized. In 2024, there were 285 measles cases reported by 33 jurisdictions to the CDC. Texas state officials first issued the Health Alert earlier this month after several cases of measles were reported in Gaines County, Texas. The first two reported cases occurred in late January. A majority of the cases reported so far are in people between the ages 5 and 17. Of the 48 cases reported, 42 are in Gaines County, which has a population of just over 21,000 people. Cases have also been reported in neighboring Terry County, Yoakum County and Lynn County. New Mexico's Lea County declared a measles outbreak earlier this week after recording its third case. The county borders Texas, including Gaines County, and has a population of around 75,000 people. "We are investigating every suspected case, and we encourage sick individuals with symptoms consistent with measles to seek medical care," NMDOH Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smelser said in a statement on the department's website. State data in Texas shows around 18% of the population in Gaines County has not gotten the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, making it one of the highest such rates in the state. The South Plains Public Health District covers Gaines County and a local vaccine clinic there reported at least 80 patients have come in for the MMR vaccine during the past week, CNN reported, adding the clinic is also expanding its operating hours. State health officials state the best defense against contracting measles is two doses of an approved vaccine.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
West Texas measles outbreak doubles to 48 cases
The measles outbreak first reported in Gaines County, Texas, has doubled to 48 cases since a count released earlier this week, the Texas Department of State Health Services said Friday. The first two cases were identified in late January and the numbers have been rising since. Forty-two cases are reported in Gaines County. Surrounding counties have also reported cases, three in Terry County, two in Yoakum County and one in Lynn County. With the contagious nature of the disease, the state health department says it expects more cases will be reported in Gaines County and the surrounding areas. All cases are in unvaccinated people or those who have unknown vaccination status. Most cases are in children age 5 to 17 years old. All the cases experienced an onset of symptoms in the last three weeks. Among the 48 cases, 13 have been hospitalized. Measles is a highly contagious airborne illness that can cause rash, fever, red eyes and cough. Severe cases can result in blindness, pneumonia or encephalitis, swelling of the brain. In some cases, the illness can be fatal. Coverage of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is particularly low in Gaines County, where nearly 1 in 5 incoming kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year did not get the vaccine. The 18% vaccine exemption rate for the county is one of the highest in the state, according to data from the Texas health department. The state health department is working with two local health departments — South Plains Public Health District and Lubbock Public Health — to investigate the outbreak. At least 80 people in the past week have obtained the MMR vaccine at no cost at a vaccine clinic hosted by the South Plains Public Health District, which includes Gaines County, according to Zach Holbrooks, the health district's executive director. The clinic is expanding to be open seven days a week. There were 285 cases reported in the US last year, the most since 2019, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This year cases have already been identified in Texas, Alaska, New Mexico, Georgia, Rhode Island and New York City. A record share of US kindergartners had an exemption for required vaccinations last school year, leaving more than 125,000 new schoolchildren without coverage for at least one state-mandated vaccine, according to data published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in October. The US Department of Health and Human Services has set a goal that at least 95% of children in kindergarten will have gotten two doses of the MMR vaccine, a threshold necessary to help prevent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease. The US has now fallen short of that threshold for four years in a row.
