As containment efforts falter, the measles outbreak in West Texas is likely to persist for a year, perhaps even setting back the country’s hard-fought victory over the virus, according to Texas health officials. As of Friday, the outbreak had sickened more than 300 people in Texas since January; 40 have been hospitalized. One child has…
Since the West Texas measles outbreak began in late January, Dr. Ana Montanez, a pediatrician in Lubbock, has had some difficult conversations with families. There was the worried phone call with the mother of an unvaccinated toddler in Gaines County, the epicenter of the outbreak, who had developed a high fever and persistent cough. And…
As more measles cases emerge around the country, doctors say they’re concerned that those infected may be at risk of long-term health complications. A bout of measles sends the immune system into shock, demolishing critical cells that help our bodies respond to threats. This can leave people extremely susceptible to other pathogens for weeks after…
Measles continues to spread in West Texas and New Mexico, with more than 250 people infected — many unvaccinated school-age children. Two cases in Oklahoma, for which state officials have not provided a location, have also been linked to these outbreaks. Eleven other states have reported isolated measles cases, typically linked to international travel. Measles…
In a sweeping interview, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health and human services secretary, outlined a strategy for containing the measles outbreak in West Texas that strayed far from mainstream science, relying heavily on fringe theories about prevention and treatments. He issued a muffled call for vaccinations in the affected community, but said the choice…
An unvaccinated person who died in New Mexico has tested positive for measles, state health officials said on Thursday, possibly the second such fatality in a growing outbreak that began in West Texas. The officials have not yet confirmed that measles was the cause of death, and said the person did not seek medical treatment…
A raging measles outbreak in West Texas, which has so far killed one child, has not abated and may have taken root in New Mexico, state health officials reported on Friday. The outbreak has sickened nearly 200 people — roughly 40 more cases than were reported on Tuesday — and has left 23 hospitalized in…