The measles outbreak in Texas is spreading, with 124 cases in west Texas and new cases reported in New Jersey and Kentucky. The vast majority of cases are in unvaccinated people.
If you, like most infants born in the U.S., got both doses of the MMR shot as a child, you are considered safe as the vaccine protection lasts all your life and is estimated to provide 99 percent protection.
Measles was considered eradicated in the U.S. by the year 200, but it likely traveled to Texas with the influx of unvaccinated illegal immigrants. There a Mennonite community became infected and accounts for the bulk of cases.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease with symptoms including a fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Because people are infectious for up to four days before showing symptoms, it can spread rapidly in unvaccinated populations. Measles can lead to complications and require hospitalization. Measles can sometimes result in death, most often in children under age five. Check Wikipedia for more information on the disease.
Published 2/27/2025. Read full article.
