15 Counties affected by Gaines Co. measles outbreak

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) continues to report an outbreak of measles in the South Plains and Panhandle regions of Texas. 15 counties now have at least one confirmed case of measles associated with the outbreak that began in Gaines County. According to DSHS, currently, 327 cases have been identified since late January. Forty of the patients have been hospitalized, and some are serious.

Terry County is currently reporting 37 confirmed cases, which is an increase of one case since Friday, March 14th. Gaines County, the epicenter of the outbreak, now has 226 confirmed cases, up from 174 on March 14th. Lubbock County has reported an increase of six confirmed cases, bringing the total to 10. Dawson County has seen an increase of two cases, totaling 13, while Cochran County is up by one case, reaching a total of 7. New cases have also been reported in several other counties: Garza, Hale, Hockley, and Lamb each have one confirmed case. There has been one fatality in a school-aged child who lived in the outbreak area. The child was not vaccinated and had no known underlying conditions.

In New Mexico, the Department of Health (NMDOH) has confirmed that the measles outbreak in Lea County, since February 9th has led to one death and currently there are 41 confirmed cases, which is up from the 35 confirmed on March 14th. The increase in case numbers follows test results from the NMDOH Scientific Laboratory Division and cases identified during investigations of known patients. These cases were not reported simultaneously but were identified retrospectively, with many being detected after the patients had already recovered. Eddy County (Carlsbad, NM) is still reporting two cases. Lea County borders Andrews, Gaines, and Yoakum Counties to the east and Eddy County to the west.

Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities. DSHS is working with local health departments to investigate the outbreak.

Texas Outbreak Case Count by County

Age Ranges of Outbreak Measles Cases

Vaccination Status of Confirmed Cases in the Outbreak

According to the DSHS, after further investigation into individual measles cases, it was determined that three cases previously classified as vaccinated were actually not vaccinated. In two of these cases, the individuals received their vaccine doses one to two days before their symptoms began, after already being exposed to the virus. It takes the body about 14 days post-vaccination to develop immunity to measles; therefore, individuals are not considered fully vaccinated until this 14-day period has elapsed.

DSHS has confirmed that the third case was a resident of Lubbock County who experienced a reaction to the measles vaccine, rather than a measles infection. This determination was made based on the results of testing conducted by MeVA, which detected the vaccine strain of the virus. As a result, this case has been entirely removed from the official case count.  It’s important to note that while the measles vaccine can occasionally cause side effects such as a rash and fever that resemble measles symptoms, these reactions are not actual measles infections and cannot be transmitted to others.

New Mexico Case Count by County

DSHS is also reporting confirmed cases of the measles that are not associated with the Gaines County outbreak, but are due to international travel to a country where measles regularly spreads.

2025 Texas Measles Cases Not Associated with the Outbreak in West Texas