Texas measles outbreak: New cases jump 22% this week to 400 confirmed infections
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Measles in Texas
Tarrant County has confirmed its first measles cases. Follow our reporting on the Texas outbreak.
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The number of measles cases in Texas has reached 400 infections as of Friday, March 28 — a jump of 22% since the state’s last update on cases Tuesday.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said a total of 41 people have been hospitalized. One school-age child who was not vaccinated died in February.
The highly contagious virus can cause high fiver, cough, conjunctivitis and rash, seven to 14 days after exposure. Serious complications, especially in children under 5, can include ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia and encephalitis. Measles spreads in the air and can infect people in a room up to two hours after the sick person has left.
Where are Texas measles cases?
As of Friday, almost all of the cases have been in the South Plains and Panhandle regions of western Texas, with the exception of 10 cases in Lamar County, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas.
But Tarrant County health authorities have warned that there’s a “high risk” of measles cases here due to lower vaccination rates. The virus is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are unvaccinated.
How many measles cases in US states?
Ohio became the latest state with a measles outbreak this week. The state health department said Wednesday that 10 people in Ashtabula County, northeast of Cleveland, had contracted the virus, most of the cases linked to an unvaccinated man.
Nationally, there have been five total outbreaks with 483 confirmed measles cases and two deaths in 20 states as of March 28, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Most of the cases have been on the western side of Texas and in New Mexico.
How to prevent measles cases
Texas health authorities say the best way to prevent getting sick is to be immunized with two doses of the vaccine, which is “highly effective.” It takes about 14 days to develop immunity.
Measles vaccination rates have dipped so low in Tarrant County that about one-third of elementary schools could not prevent an outbreak if a child came to school while infected, according to a Star-Telegram analysis of school vaccination data.
The vaccination rate among kindergartners in Tarrant County is around 91.5%. The ideal threshold to avoid cases of measles popping up is 95%.
Texas counties with measles cases as of March 28
Here are the latest numbers by Texas county, with increases since Tuesday:
- Andrews: 1 (new)
- Cochran: 8 (up from 7)
- Dallam: 7 (up from 6)
- Dawson: 14 (up from 13)
- Ector: 4 (up from 2)
- Gaines: 270 (up from 226)
- Garza: 1
- Hale: 1
- Hockley: 2 (up from 1)
- Lamar: 10 (up from 5)
- Lamb: 1
- Lubbock: 23 (up from 10)
- Lynn: 1
- Martin: 3
- Terry: 38 (up from 37)
- Yoakum: 15 (up from 13)
What happens when measles cases are in Tarrant County?
If you’re a parent and you suspect you or your child has measles, the first step is to call your primary care doctor or whoever provides medical care to your family, says Kennedy Sam, a spokesperson for Tarrant County Public Health.
Calling ahead before showing up to a medical facility is crucial, so staff can take precautions to protect other patients in waiting areas.
A mobile strike team is on standby to test and provide vaccinations “for those who qualify and wish to receive one” in the event of a confirmed measles case, Sam told the Star-Telegram in early March.
An outbreak involving more than two locations in Tarrant County would prompt officials to open a testing and vaccination site that could serve 250 to 1,500 people daily. The health department is also adding measles PCR testing capability to its lab, but the process was expected to take several weeks.
“Until then, we are sending test swabs either to Quest (Diagnostics) or the state lab,” Sam said, noting this process has a 48-hour turnaround for results.
This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 1:13 PM with the headline "Texas measles outbreak: New cases jump 22% this week to 400 confirmed infections."
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