Measles cases top 300 in Texas, NM

Health Care

The Big Story

Texas, New Mexico measles outbreak passes 300 cases

More than 300 measles cases have now been confirmed in the ongoing outbreak that began in Texas’s South Plains region and bled into neighboring New Mexico, surpassing the total number of American cases seen all last year.

According to the latest update from the Texas Department of State Health Services, 279 measles cases have been reported in the state. In New Mexico, 38 cases have been confirmed as of Tuesday, totaling 317 cases across both states.

In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 285 cases nationally.

The cases have primarily occurred in Gaines County, Texas, and Lea County, N.M., which sit opposite each other on the Texas-New Mexico border. Of the cases in Texas, 36 have resulted in hospitalizations, while two people have been hospitalized in New Mexico.

There have been two deaths, one in each state, related to the current measles outbreak, and both occurred in patients who were unvaccinated. The death in Texas was directly attributed to measles, while the cause of death for the New Mexican individual, who tested positive for the virus, is still being investigated.

The numbers coming out of Texas have fluctuated as more information is gathered, with there apparently being fewer breakthrough measles cases than initially believed.

Texas health authorities found that after further investigation, three cases previously considered vaccinated were not. Two of the individuals had received a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine dose just one to two days before symptoms began, while the third case appeared to have been a reaction to the vaccine and was not a true infection.

It takes 14 days after vaccination for the body to develop an immunity to measles, and it is only at that point at which someone is considered fully vaccinated.

Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Essential Reads

How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:

Purdue Pharma asks bankruptcy judge to accept new settlement plan

Purdue Pharma has filed a new bankruptcy plan as part of a $7.4 billion settlement to resolve thousands of lawsuits over the company’s alleged role in the opioid crisis, months after the Supreme Court blocked a prior deal. The bankrupt company announced Tuesday it had filed a Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. In June of last year, the Supreme Court blocked …

Full Story

CDC issues dengue fever warning for spring, summer travelers

Dengue fever cases have been rising among U.S. travelers and are expected to climb this year, according to a warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A “record number” of dengue fever cases were identified among U.S. travelers last year — a total of 3,484, an 84 percent increase compared to the year before. “This trend is expected to continue with increased dengue activity in endemic areas in 2025,” …

Full Story

Could ‘Make America Healthy Again’ impact restaurants’ bottom line?

The “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, led by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., aims to revamp the U.S.’s dietary guidelines and food industry practices. Kennedy has repeatedly targeted ultra-processed foods as the primary culprit behind a range of diseases that afflict Americans, particularly children. He vowed in a Senate confirmation hearing to focus on removing such …

Full Story

In Other News

Branch out with a different read:

Advocates to rally in DC for Trans Day of Visibility amid Trump administration rollbacks

Transgender rights advocates from across the nation will gather on the National Mall this month in celebration of Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual commemoration of trans people worldwide. Organizers hope this year’s rally, set to take place about a mile from the White House, will show a united front against the federal government’s recent attempts to roll back their rights.

Full Story

Around the Nation

Local and state headlines on health care:

Indiana lawmakers seek to forbid hospital monopolies, but one merger fight remains (KFF Health News)
California’s Medi-Cal shortfall hits $6.2 billion with ‘unprecedented’ cost increases (Cal Matters)
After COVID, Texas is less prepared for the next pandemic (The Texas Tribune)

What We're Reading

Health news we've flagged from other outlets:

Texas public health officials say outbreak could take a year to contain (Stat)
More than 1 million people die of tuberculosis every year. They don’t have to (Vox)
Trump administration considers scaling back H.I.V. efforts at CDC (The New York Times)

What Others are Reading

Most read stories on The Hill right now:

Murkowski: Republicans quiet out of fear ‘they’re going to be taken down’

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) says that few Senate Republicans are willing to speak out against actions by the Trump administration and Elon Musk … Read more

Sadly, Trump is right on Ukraine

I rarely agree with President Trump, but his latest controversial statements about Ukraine are mostly true. They seem preposterous only because western … Read more

You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!

Topics

Texas, New Mexico measles outbreak grows to more than 300

The measles outbreak impacting Texas and New Mexico has now exceeded 300 cases, surpassing the number of measles cases reported in all of the U.S. last year. According to the latest update from the ...
The Hill - 1d
Measles confirmed in 3 more states as cases multiply

More than 300 cases of measles, one of the most contagious viruses in the world, have now been confirmed across more than a dozen U.S. states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ...
The Hill - 5d
Texas measles cases rise to 223

Texas's deadly measles outbreak is growing, as confirmed cases in the state have risen to at least 223 since January, according to the latest figures from the Texas Department of State Health ...
The Hill - Mar. 11
Texas measles outbreak linked to cases in New Mexico, Oklahoma

The measles outbreak in the South Plains region of Texas has been linked to confirmed cases in New Mexico and Oklahoma. The outbreak in West Texas is centered in Gaines County, which neighbors Lea ...
The Hill - Mar. 12
223 measles cases confirmed in Texas as outbreak grows

The measles outbreak in western Texas is continuing to grow with a total of 223 cases confirmed, according to new data published Tuesday.
ABC News - Mar. 11
Measles outbreaks confirmed in 3 states

Fifteen states across the U.S. are now reporting cases of the measles, with Texas, New Mexico and New Jersey considered to have outbreaks. On Tuesday, California, Vermont and Oklahoma reported new ...
CBS News - Mar. 12
West Texas measles outbreak spreads into Oklahoma

Oklahoma reported two measles cases on Tuesday linked to the outbreak in Texas. More than 250 people have been infected in the outbreak so far.
NBC News - Mar. 11
US sees 300-plus measles cases, highest in a year since 2019

The U.S. has recorded more than 300 cases of measles in just the first three months of this year, according to data published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the ...
The Hill - 5d
Texas cities run short of MMR vaccine as measles outbreak drives demand

Pharmacies are struggling with supplies as fatal outbreak expands and health secretary sows disinformation. As measles cases continue to grow in Texas and New Mexico, with a second death, an ...
The Guardian - Mar. 8