A daycare center in a Texas county currently affected by a measles outbreak has reported several infections, including among children too young to be fully vaccinated, according to public health officials.
The outbreak in West Texas continues to grow, with 505 confirmed cases reported as of Tuesday. The state has expanded the outbreak area to include 10 counties. The measles virus, which began spreading in late January, has now reached New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Mexico.
Three unvaccinated individuals, including two elementary school children in Texas, have died from measles-related complications this year. The most recent death occurred on Thursday when a second child passed away at a hospital in Lubbock. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended the child’s funeral in Seminole, the outbreak’s epicenter.
Seven cases have been linked to a daycare facility, where one contagious child infected two others, leading to further spread across classrooms, said Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health.
“Measles is so highly contagious that I wouldn’t be surprised if it reaches other facilities,” Wells warned.
The daycare, which has over 200 children enrolled, mostly includes kids who have received at least one dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first MMR dose is typically given between 12 and 15 months, and a second between ages 4 and 6. However, some of the infected children had only received the first dose.
Health officials now recommend accelerating the second dose for partially vaccinated children and suggest giving the first dose at 6 months rather than waiting until a year old for those in Lubbock County. Unvaccinated children attending the daycare must stay home for 21 days following their last exposure.
Texas has seen a steady rise in both cases and hospitalizations since the outbreak began, with 81 new cases reported between March 28 and April 4. On Tuesday, the state added 24 more cases and two counties—Borden and Randall—to the outbreak list. The total number of hospitalizations has reached 57.
Gaines County, home to a close-knit Mennonite community, remains the hardest hit with 328 cases. Terry County follows with 46 cases, and Lubbock County has 36.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is coordinating with Texas officials to deploy additional support teams. CDC spokesperson Jason McDonald said a small team would arrive later this week, with a larger group to follow. An earlier CDC team had been in the region from early March until April 1, just before the second child’s death.
