A day care facility in West Texas, part of a growing measles outbreak, has reported multiple cases, including infections in children too young to be fully vaccinated. The outbreak, which began in late January, has spread to 10 counties in Texas and extended to New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Mexico, with 505 cases reported as of Tuesday.
Three unvaccinated individuals, including two elementary school-aged children in Texas, have died from measles-related illnesses this year. The second child passed away at a Lubbock hospital, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended the funeral in Seminole, the outbreak’s epicenter.
In Lubbock, seven cases have been linked to a day care after one infectious child transmitted the virus to two others, with further spread to other classrooms. “Measles is so contagious, I won’t be surprised if it enters other facilities,” said Lubbock Public Health Director Katherine Wells.
Among the over 200 children at the day care, most have received at least one dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. However, some infected children had only received one dose. Public health officials are now recommending that children who have had only one dose receive their second dose earlier than usual. Additionally, in Lubbock County, the first dose of the vaccine is now recommended at six months instead of 12 months.
Unvaccinated children attending the day care must stay home for 21 days after their last exposure to prevent further spread. Since the outbreak began, Texas has seen a steady rise in cases and hospitalizations, with 81 new cases from March 28 to April 4 alone. The state added 24 more cases and two additional counties, Borden and Randall, on Tuesday.
Gaines County, where the virus is spreading within a close-knit Mennonite community, has the highest number of cases at 328, followed by Terry County with 46, and Lubbock County with 36. The CDC met with Texas health officials to coordinate response efforts, with a small team expected to arrive later this week and a larger group following next week. The CDC’s initial team was active in the region from early March until April 1, withdrawing days before the second child’s death in the outbreak.