Measles Outbreak in West Texas and New Mexico Surpasses 350 Cases, Killing Two Unvaccinated Patients

Right now, NPR health correspondent Maria Godoy says that the Texas outbreak is still limited to remote rural areas where vaccination rates are low. But measles is highly contagious – more infectious than COVID-19, smallpox, or even Ebola. So, if an infected person travels to another community with low vaccination rates, that person could potentially sow another outbreak upon returning.

The measles outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico have surpassed a combined 350 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.

Measles has also been known to trigger immune amnesia, a condition that causes people to lose the antibodies they’ve developed over the years, taking away their natural defenses against viruses and bacteria. Those who develop immune amnesia are therefore forced to contend with the illnesses they had already developed antibodies against. The measles vaccine was notably touted as the key source for eliminating the high rate of infection deaths among children around the world when it was introduced in the 1960s as it protected them from immune amnesia. Measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, but cases have been on the rise in recent years as vaccine skepticism has become more prevalent. Last week, New Mexico confirmed this year’s second fatality, in an unvaccinated adult. That comes after an unvaccinated child died in February.

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The measles outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico have surpassed a combined 350 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.