Texas is grappling with its worst measles outbreak in decades, with cases surging from two to 124 in just one month. One child has died, 18 are hospitalized, and experts warn the situation could worsen as low vaccination rates leave communities vulnerable.
Limited Government Response
State and local health officials have launched vaccine clinics and urged residents to get the highly effective measles shot. However, Gov. Greg Abbott and lawmakers from the hardest-hit areas have not publicly addressed the crisis. Unlike other states that enforce stricter public health measures, Texas has yet to enact policies such as preemptive school exclusions for unvaccinated students or mandatory quarantines after exposure.
Public health experts say the state’s response reflects lingering skepticism from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everybody is so sensitive to the vaccine topic due to COVID,” said Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett. Infectious disease expert Catherine Troisi added, “There’s less political will now… People don’t want to be told what to do, forgetting that what they do can affect others.”
Urgency of Vaccination
The outbreak has highlighted Texas’ declining immunization rates. Gaines County, the epicenter of the outbreak, has a vaccination rate of just 82%, far below the 95% threshold needed to prevent measles from spreading.
“This is entirely due to low vaccination rates,” Troisi told The Texas Tribune. “And kids aren’t vaccinated because there is so much misinformation out there.”
Some areas have taken more drastic steps during past outbreaks. In 2019, New York imposed fines on residents in affected communities who refused the measles vaccine. But such measures are unlikely in Texas, where state leaders continue to oppose vaccine mandates.
“I don’t know what brings us back,” vaccine expert Dr. Peter Hotez told The Texas Tribune. “There was no auto-correction after 40,000 Texans needlessly died because they refused the COVID vaccine.”
With the outbreak still unfolding, public health officials stress that increasing vaccination rates remains the best defense against measles’ rapid spread.
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