Remember when measles was considered wiped out in the U.S.?
That was 2000. Fast-forward to now—over 1,000 confirmed cases and counting. So, what happened?
Texas is the epicenter, with a staggering 709 cases spread across 29 counties.
Most trace back to a tight-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community in Gaines County.
Tragically, two young children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico have already died.
“These were healthy individuals.That’s what makes this so heartbreaking,” said Texas Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The outbreak isn’t just a Texas problem.
New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and states from Michigan to Montana are reporting clusters.
Even North Dakota, which hadn’t seen a single case since 2011, now has nine.
What’s The common Thread?
Low vaccination rates. Measles is so contagious that just one infected person can spark a wildfire of transmission.
“It’s airborne. You can catch it just by being in the same room—even hours after an infected person has left,” warned CDC virologist Dr. Emma Leigh.
With outbreaks also raging in Canada and Mexico, experts worry this virus isn’t going anywhere soon.
