At a Glance
- West Texas measles outbreak began early 2025 in Gaines County.
- Texas reported 762 cases, 99 hospitalizations, and 2 child deaths.
- CDC tallied 2,012 confirmed cases nationwide by Dec. 23, 2025.
- Why it matters: Low vaccination rates fuel resurgence and threaten elimination status.
The outbreak that started in Gaines County, a region where nearly one in four residents lacks the MMR vaccine, spread rapidly across state lines and even crossed national borders. By August, Texas officials declared the outbreak over after 762 cases, 99 hospitalizations and 2 deaths. Yet the disease continued to spread, with CDC reports showing 2,012 confirmed cases by the end of December.
Texas Outbreak Details
Texas Department of State Health Services announced the end of the outbreak in August, noting the eight-month duration. The state had 99 hospitalizations and 2 child deaths. The outbreak began in early 2025 in Gaines County and expanded to other Texas counties before reaching the Sun Belt and South Carolina.
- 762 cases in Texas
- 99 hospitalizations
- 2 deaths
Vaccination Gaps and Public Health Response
Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said:
> “No.”
He added:
> “In fact, I had actually written in 2016 that we should expect a large measles epidemic in Texas, and I even mentioned the county where it began.”
> “It’s not hard to predict,” he continued. “Measles exploits low vaccination rates, and some of the counties in West Texas have the lowest vaccination rates in the state and even in the country. So guess what? That’s exactly what happened.”
> “Measles is back in a big way. And it’s not just measles – I think pertussis, or whooping cough, is also back in a big way,”
> “We’re going through a very dark period right now where the anti-vaccine advocacy is so strong nationally, and parents are making bad decisions about not vaccinating their kids.”
> “What he’s doing is step by step eroding public confidence in the vaccines,” he said. “Death by a thousand cuts.”
> “If it becomes possible to connect the dots and link those epidemics in some ways, then we can say, ‘Yeah, we’ve lost our elimination status,'” Hotez added. “Basically, I don’t know that it matters that much. Basically, we’ve lost our elimination status.”
The CDC notes that herd immunity requires 95% vaccination coverage. In the 2024-25 school year, kindergarten students in 139 counties did not meet this threshold-55% of Texas counties-compared to only 42 counties a decade earlier.
| Year | Confirmed Cases |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 89 |
| 2024 | 285 |
| 2025 | 2,012 |
| Metric | 2024-25 | 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|
| Counties below 95% MMR coverage | 139 | 42 |
National Impact and Ongoing Outbreaks
Outbreaks continue in South Carolina and the Sun Belt, though it is unclear if they link back to the original Gaines County outbreak. Measles was declared “eliminated” in the U.S. in 2000, a status that requires no sustained transmission for one year. The Texas outbreak ended in August-just eight months-yet cases rose again, raising questions about the country’s elimination status.
Key Takeaways
- The West Texas outbreak began in Gaines County and led to 762 Texas cases, 99 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths.
- Low MMR vaccination rates-95% needed for herd immunity-are widespread, with 139 counties below the threshold.
- The CDC reports 2,012 confirmed cases nationwide by Dec. 23, 2025, indicating the disease may no longer be eliminated.
The resurgence underscores the critical need for higher vaccination coverage to prevent future outbreaks.
