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'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

USA Today

time08-04-2025

  • Health
  • USA Today

'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 Show Caption Hide Caption 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@

'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

Yahoo

time08-04-2025

  • Health
  • Yahoo

'In this for the long haul': Texas surpasses 500 measles cases since January

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. 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. 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." 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. 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) 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. 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@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas surpasses 500 measles cases since start of 2025. What to know

Texas measles outbreak tops 500 cases, including multiple at a day care in Lubbock
Texas measles outbreak tops 500 cases, including multiple at a day care in Lubbock

Chicago Tribune

time08-04-2025

  • Health
  • Chicago Tribune

Texas measles outbreak tops 500 cases, including multiple at a day care in Lubbock

A day care facility in a Texas county that's part of the measles outbreak has multiple cases, including children too young to be fully vaccinated, public health officials say. West Texas is in the middle of a still-growing measles outbreak with 505 cases reported on Tuesday. The state expanded the number of counties in the outbreak area this week to 10. The highly contagious virus began to spread in late January and health officials say it has spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Mexico. Three people who were unvaccinated have died from measles-related illnesses this year, including two elementary school-aged children in Texas. The second child died Thursday at a Lubbock hospital, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended the funeral in Seminole, the epicenter of the outbreak. As of Friday, there were seven cases at a day care where one young child who was infectious gave it to two other children before it spread to other classrooms, Lubbock Public Health director Katherine Wells said. 'Measles is so contagious I won't be surprised if it enters other facilities,' Wells said. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is first recommended between 12 and 15 months old and a second shot between 4 and 6 years old. Maegan Messick, co-owner of Tiny Tots U Learning Academy, where the outbreak is occurring, recently told KLBK-TV in Lubbock that they're taking precautions like putting kids who are too young to get the vaccines together in isolation. 'We have tried to be extremely transparent,' she told the TV station. There are more than 200 children at the day care, Wells said. Most have had least one dose of the vaccine, though she added, 'we do have some children that have only received one dose that are now infected.' The public health department is recommending that any child with only one vaccine get their second dose early, and changed its recommendation for kids in Lubbock County to get the first vaccine dose at 6 months old instead of 1. A child who is unvaccinated and attends the day care must stay home for 21 days since their last exposure, Wells said. Case count and hospitalization numbers in Texas have climbed steadily since the outbreak began, and spiked by 81 cases from March 28 to April 4. On Tuesday, the state added another 24 cases to its count and two additional counties, Borden and Randall. One more person was hospitalized since Friday, with 57 total. Gaines County, where the virus has been spreading through a close-knit Mennonite community, has the majority of cases, with 328 on Tuesday. Neighboring Terry County is second with 46, followed by Lubbock County with 36. The Texas Department of State Health Services tracks vaccinations rate for kindergartners, though the data doesn't include homeschooled children or some kids who attend private school. Gaines County's rate is 82%, which is far below the 95% level needed to prevent community spread — and health officials have said it's likely lower in the small religious schools and homeschooling groups where the early cases were identified. In Terry County, the vaccination rate for kindergartners is at 96%, while Lubbock County is at 92%. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met with Texas officials Monday to determine how many people it would send to West Texas to assist with the outbreak response, spokesman Jason McDonald said Monday. He expected a small team to arrive later this week, followed by a bigger group on the ground next week. The CDC said its first team was in the region from early March to April 1, withdrawing on-the-ground support days before a second child died in the outbreak. A spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said late Sunday that the governor and first lady were extending their 'deepest prayers' to the family and community, and that the state health department had sent epidemiologists, immunization teams and specimen collection units to the area.

Texas measles outbreak tops 500 cases, including multiple at a day care in Lubbock
Texas measles outbreak tops 500 cases, including multiple at a day care in Lubbock

Boston Globe

time08-04-2025

  • Health
  • Boston Globe

Texas measles outbreak tops 500 cases, including multiple at a day care in Lubbock

Advertisement As of Friday, there were seven cases at a day care where one young child who was infectious gave it to two other children before it spread to other classrooms, Lubbock Public Health director Katherine Wells said. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Measles is so contagious I won't be surprised if it enters other facilities,' Wells said. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is first recommended between 12 and 15 months old and a second shot between 4 and 6 years old. Maegan Messick, co-owner of Tiny Tots U Learning Academy, where the outbreak is occurring, recently told KLBK-TV in Lubbock that they're taking precautions like putting kids who are too young to get the vaccines together in isolation. 'We have tried to be extremely transparent,' she told the TV station. There are more than 200 children at the day care, Wells said. Most have had least one dose of the vaccine, though she added, 'we do have some children that have only received one dose that are now infected.' Related : Advertisement The public health department is recommending that any child with only one vaccine get their second dose early, and changed its recommendation for kids in Lubbock County to get the first vaccine dose at 6 months old instead of 1. A child who is unvaccinated and attends the day care must stay home for 21 days since their last exposure, Wells said. Case count and hospitalization numbers in Texas have climbed steadily since the outbreak began, and spiked by 81 cases from March 28 to April 4. On Tuesday, the state added another 24 cases to its count and two additional counties, Borden and Randall. One more person was hospitalized since Friday, with 57 total. Gaines County, where the virus has been spreading through a close-knit Mennonite community, has the majority of cases, with 328 on Tuesday. Neighboring Terry County is second with 46, followed by Lubbock County with 36. The Texas Department of State Health Services tracks vaccinations rate for kindergartners, though the data doesn't include homeschooled children or some kids who attend private school. Gaines County's rate is 82%, which is far below the 95% level needed to prevent community spread — and health officials have said it's likely lower in the small religious schools and homeschooling groups where the early cases were identified. In Terry County, the vaccination rate for kindergartners is at 96%, while Lubbock County is at 92%. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met with Texas officials Monday to determine how many people it would send to West Texas to assist with the outbreak response, spokesman Jason McDonald said Monday. He expected a small team to arrive later this week, followed by a bigger group on the ground next week. Advertisement The CDC said its first team was in the region from early March to April 1, withdrawing on-the-ground support days before a second child died in the outbreak. A spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said late Sunday that the governor and first lady were extending their 'deepest prayers' to the family and community, and that the state health department had sent epidemiologists, immunization teams and specimen collection units to the area. AP reporter Amanda Seitz in Washington contributed to this report.

At least 6 children test positive for measles at Texas day care amid outbreak
At least 6 children test positive for measles at Texas day care amid outbreak

CBS News

time08-04-2025

  • Health
  • CBS News

At least 6 children test positive for measles at Texas day care amid outbreak

At least six children at a day care in Lubbock, Texas, tested positive for measles amid the state's growing outbreak, local officials confirmed to CBS News Tuesday. On Monday, Lubbock Public Health issued immunization recommendations for the whole county following the cases at Tiny Tots U Learning Academy on South University Avenue. The health agency advised infants get their first dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine between 6 and 11 months, rather than the typically recommended 12 to 15 months. It also recommended children 12 months or older with only one dose get their second dose early. The second dose is normally recommended at 4 to 6 years old. "With cases rising locally, these updated guidelines aim to ensure rapid protection for those at highest risk," a news release from the agency said. In the release, Lubbock Public Health Director Katherine Wells urged residents to review their vaccination history and make sure their children are protected. "Vaccination is the best defense against measles, especially in the face of an active outbreak," she said in a statement. The MMR vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective through decades of research and analysis. One dose is 93% effective against measles and two doses is 97% effective, the CDC says. The normal two doses protect most people for life, but there are some cases doctors recommend receiving an extra dose . Wells told The Associated Press that there are more than 200 children at the day care, most of whom have at least one dose of the MMR vaccine. The cases spread after one young child who was infectious gave it to two other children before it spread to other classrooms, she told the outlet. Any unvaccinated child who attends the day care must stay home for 21 days since their last exposure, Wells said. "Measles is so contagious I won't be surprised if it enters other facilities," she said. "We do have some children that have only received one dose that are now infected." The day care news comes as cases in the state overall surpass 500 and two children have died . Nationwide, cases have surpassed 600, with infections confirmed in at least 21 states. The Texas outbreak is primarily affecting children and teenagers , nearly all of whom were unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

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