Texas physicians say the current situation was "inevitable" due to the low rates of vaccination among the largely Mennonite community.
Ninety cases have been recorded in Texas, while at least nine were recorded in New Mexico as of Thursday, all in Lea County, which borders the South Plains region. Out of those infected, the overwhelming majority are children.
As of Monday, the Texas Department of State Health Services said multiple health departments in Central and South Central Texas recently reported measles exposures associated with the ongoing outbreak in the South Plains region of Texas.
Five of the cases are vaccinated while the rest are not. The department has stated there are likely more measles cases that have yet to be confirmed due to the highly contagious nature of the virus.
The outbreak comes as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading vaccine skeptic, takes over the Department of Health and Human Services, spurring fears he will further fuel vaccine skepticism, an issue already politicized by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The South Plains region is home to an insular community of Mennonites, a conservative Christian sect dating back to 15th century, among whom vaccinations are not as popular as in the general population.
Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist at the Memorial Hermann Health System in Texas, said the current situation was "inevitable" since anything shy of the ideal vaccination rate leaves communities vulnerable. The ideal coverage for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations is 95 percent.
"Once a community falls below that 95 percent protection rate, it is like dry kindling just waiting for that first spark," Yancey said.
The vaccination rate in Gaines County, the epicenter of the Texas outbreak, is closer to 80 percent. About 91 percent of Texas children born in 2020 have received at least one dose of the MMR vaccination, according to state data.
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