Texas measles outbreak passes 500 cases, DSHS reports

LUBBOCK, Texas -- The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reported 505 cases in the ongoing measles outbreak as of Tuesday, April 8.

DSHS said 57 patients were hospitalized. EverythingLubbock.com reported on Sunday that a second child, an 8-year-old girl, passed away due to measles at a Lubbock hospital. The first death was reported in late February. Both children were unvaccinated and did not have known underlying health issues, according to officials.

DSHS said the outbreak area recently expanded. It now includes Cochran, Dallam, Dawson, Gaines, Garza, Lynn, Lamar, Lubbock, Terry and Yoakum counties. Lubbock had 36 cases, which included approximately seven children at a local daycare who tested positive for measles.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Gaines County on Sunday. He published a statement to social media expressing his condolences for the families who lost their children. Kennedy said he deployed teams from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to Texas. Kennedy also stated, "The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine."

Lubbock Public Health posted updated guidelines for the measles vaccine on Monday. The guidelines said infants from six to 11 months old can get an early dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads through the air and can linger for hours when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Health officials said measles can lead to dangerous complications like pneumonia, brain swelling and even death, especially for young unvaccinated or immunocompromised children. 

It can take the body about 14 days to develop immunity to measles after vaccination. DSHS said People are not considered fully vaccinated until those 14 days have passed. For more information about where to get the measles vaccine on the South Plains, click here.