Measles Outbreak in West Texas Infects 58, Spreads to New Mexico

A measles outbreak in West Texas has spread over the last three weeks, with infection rates higher than the state has seen since 1992.

The Details: The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) confirmed the first infections on Feb. 5, but as of Tuesday, it reported 58 cases in ages from under 5 years old through adults. State health officials in New Mexico confirmed eight cases in Lea County, which borders Texas, on Wednesday.

For Context: The outbreak began in Gaines County, Texas, part of the South Plains region where nearly 20% of children are unvaccinated. Gaines County is also home to a Mennonite community, members of which often apply for exemptions to school vaccine mandates. Vaccine rates for measles, mumps and rubella also fell to 93% in 2024, below the 95% threshold recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How the Media Covered It: Many sources noted Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent appointment to lead the Department of Health and Human Services as context in their coverage of the measles outbreak. Fox News (Lean Right bias) was among those that didn’t. Outlets from the left and center drew connections to the recent RFK Jr. hearings where Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and others asked questions about RFK Jr.’s stance on vaccines. Bloomberg (Lean Left bias) called the hearings “contentious,” writing that RFK Jr. “tried to distance himself from his previous anti-vaccine rhetoric.” Forbes (Center) wrote that “perhaps more troubling” than RFK Jr.’s call for further studies on vaccines are “his false claims of links between the MMR vaccine and autism.”