Additional Coverage:
- Texas now reporting 400 measles cases as some kids get sick from too much vitamin A (abcnews.go.com)
Measles Outbreak in West Texas Surges to 400 Cases
West Texas is grappling with a surge in measles cases, with the total now reaching 400, a jump of 73 cases in just three days, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Nearly all the cases involve unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status. At least 41 individuals have required hospitalization.
Children and teenagers are bearing the brunt of this outbreak. DSHS data reveals 164 cases among those aged 5 to 17, and another 131 cases in children aged four and under.
This outbreak comes amidst a national rise in measles cases. The CDC has confirmed 483 cases across 19 states so far this year, though this number is likely an undercount due to reporting delays.
Adding to the concern, reports have surfaced of some unvaccinated children hospitalized with measles in Texas exhibiting signs of vitamin A toxicity. This follows the promotion of vitamin A by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. and other vaccine skeptics as a measles treatment. While vitamin A is recommended by the World Health Organization as a supportive treatment to address vitamin A deficiency in measles patients, it does not prevent infection or directly combat the virus.
Covenant Children’s Hospital, a key facility in treating measles patients during this outbreak, reports that some parents, seemingly attempting to treat or prevent measles, administered vitamin A to their unvaccinated children. A small number of these children subsequently showed signs of vitamin A toxicity, indicated by abnormal liver function.
Health authorities emphasize that vaccination remains the most effective defense against measles. The CDC recommends two doses of the measles vaccine, the first between 12 and 15 months of age, and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
Fueling the Texas outbreak is a significant increase in vaccine exemptions in Gaines County, the epicenter of the outbreak. State health data shows that the percentage of kindergartners with at least one vaccine exemption filed by parents or guardians has more than doubled in the last ten years, rising from approximately 7.5% in 2013 to over 17.5% in 2024, one of the highest rates in Texas. The CDC reports that nationally, approximately 97% of confirmed measles cases are in individuals who are either unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.