United States: Texas Health Department identified 624 measles cases across the state on Tuesday while, demonstrating a 27-case increase since April 18 during this country’s current extensive childhood disease outbreak, as reported by Reuters.
Hospitalizations and Deaths Mount
Gaines County, which functions as the epicenter of the outbreak, reported 386 confirmed cases of measles, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services, compared to the 371 cases reported on Friday.
Hospitalizations from the Texas measles outbreak reached 64 individuals, yet two children who were unvaccinated without underlying health conditions lost their lives to measles.
Outbreak Spreads Across State Lines
The New Mexico health department increased their reported measles cases to 65 on Tuesday compared to their previous numbers. The outbreak primarily affects Lea County in New Mexico, where it shares its borders with Gaines County, Texas.
🦠📍🇺🇸📈 Texas Measles Outbreak Grows to 624 Cases, 2 Child Deaths Reported
— PiQ (@PiQSuite) April 22, 2025
🔹 Summary:
Texas' measles outbreak has surged to 624 confirmed cases, including two deaths of unvaccinated children, as Gaines County remains the epicenter with more than 60% of infections.… pic.twitter.com/3VLcyi5VvH
The CDC documented 800 recorded measles cases spread across 25 jurisdictions by April 17.
CDC Sends Teams to Support Response
Dr. David Sugerman from the CDC Division of Viral Diseases announced last week that his organization sent 22 team members to Texas to tackle the outbreak response and support field operations between March 4 and April 15.
Sugerman warned that ongoing measles case instances may strip the U.S. of its measles elimination designation set for January 20, 2026.
According to Reuters sources, the nation’s measles response faces obstacles due to insufficient vaccination promotion by government health personnel, while parental confusion persists due to unverified treatment statements.
Vaccination Gaps Fueling the Crisis
Sustaining herd immunity through vaccination has become challenging because the national vaccination coverage falls beneath the 95% threshold, as reported by Reuters.
The CDC reported that 96% of all measles cases involved people either unvaccinated or with unknown vaccination status.