The measles outbreak that continues to spread in rural West Texas has risen to 223 confirmed cases, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported on Tuesday.
The majority of the cases continue to be concentrated in Gaines County — where 156 infections have been recorded — followed by Terry County, just north of Gaines, which is now reporting 32 cases. Gaines has one of the highest rates in Texas of school-aged children who opt out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% of K-12 children in the 2023-24 school year. Health officials say that number is likely higher because it doesn’t include many children who are homeschooled and whose data would not be reported.
The one death in Texas so far was of a school-aged child who was not vaccinated and had no underlying conditions. The rising cases are not something likely to persuade the largely Mennonite community who cite “personal choice” and a deep post-COVID-19 distrust of the federal government as reasons for their vaccine hesitancy.
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