Health officials in Seminole, Texas, are strongly advocating for the measles vaccine as the outbreak continues to grow, with over 200 confirmed cases now reported.
The measles outbreak in West Texas has surged to 198 cases, as per the Texas Department of State Health Services report issued on Friday. Additionally, 30 cases have been identified in Lea County, New Mexico, which shares a border with Gaines County. Twenty-three individuals, primarily unvaccinated children, have required hospitalization in West Texas.
Tragically, a 6-year-old in Texas passed away last week, and a suspected measles-related death in an adult was reported by Lea County health officials on Wednesday.
The actual number of cases is likely substantially higher as many individuals are not seeking testing, according to Katherine Wells, director of public health at the health department in Lubbock, Texas. Despite hospitals in the area offering free testing and vaccination services, the escalating outbreak underscores the difficulty health professionals are facing in containing one of the most contagious viruses known to humans.
In Seminole, a health food store has become a hub for families with visibly ill children seeking advice. These families are often recommended cod liver oil, a vitamin A-rich supplement endorsed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. While vitamin A deficiency has been linked to worse outcomes from measles and its complications, Dr. Alexandra Yonts, an infectious disease specialist at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., clarified that vitamin A alone does not treat measles.
The majority of measles cases are concentrated in Gaines County, where Seminole is situated, though cases have also been identified in neighboring counties like Lubbock and Terry, as per the Texas Health Department. Gaines County has one of the highest vaccine exemption rates in Texas, standing at nearly 18%.
Emphasizing that vaccination is a personal decision, Kennedy did not actively encourage the public to receive the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine in an editorial on Fox News’ website. A billboard in Seminole alerts that 1 in 20 children with measles develops pneumonia, underscoring the severity of the disease.
According to the CDC, two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles. The first dose is typically administered to children aged 12 to 15 months, with the second dose given between 4 to 6 years old. Recently, the Texas Health Department advised families in the region that babies aged 6 to 12 months could consider an early dose of the MMR vaccine.
Dr. Tina Tan, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, stressed that the vaccine is the most effective tool in safeguarding against measles.
“Vaccines are crucial in preventing the deaths associated with these severe vaccine-preventable diseases
