Editor's note: Hays County has issued a public health alert after a person who tested positive for measles visited San Marcos on Feb. 14.
As a wave of measles cases spreads in West Texas, Austin doctors and public health experts are encouraging vaccination against the highly contagious airborne disease.
Since late January, there have been 90 confirmed cases of measles between Gaines County and several surrounding counties, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Sixteen of those patients have been hospitalized.
Among those affected in the West Texas outbreak so far, only five have reported being vaccinated against the disease.
Dr. Desmar Walkes, medical director for Austin Public Health, said her agency is closely monitoring the outbreak — the largest measles outbreak in the state for several decades.
“We're seeing the result of a drop in vaccination rates,” she said. “It's extremely important that we as a community take this time now where we don't have any reported cases of measles … to get vaccinated if we are unvaccinated.”
In addition to a high fever, respiratory symptoms, and pink eye, a hallmark of measles is a rash that looks like flat, red spots beginning around the head and neck.
The illness can result in severe complications that require hospitalization. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 20% of unvaccinated measles patients are hospitalized. Around 5% of kids who catch measles develop pneumonia. In rare cases, they can develop encephalitis, a life-threatening swelling of the brain.
“I’ve taken care of kids with measles, and they are miserable,” said Dr. Donald Murphey, a pediatric infectious disease doctor at Dell Children’s Medical Center. “I don’t think you want to take chances with your kid getting a disease you might get hospitalized for.”
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, or MMR, is a standard childhood vaccination that protects against the illness. Typically, a first dose is administered when a child is 12-15 months old, followed by a second dose when a child is between 4 and 6. This two-dose regimen is considered 97% effective against measles, according to the CDC. Most adults do not need a booster dose, but some older adults are recommended to get one.
A vaccine for measles was introduced in the 1960s, and the disease was declared eliminated in the United States by 2000. But declining vaccination rates in the 21st century have coincided with new measles incidents.
In Texas, the MMR vaccine is required for children entering kindergarten — with allowances for conscientious exemptions. DSHS data shows that in 2023, statewide school MMR vaccination rates were below the 95% threshold recommended by public health experts to prevent community spread.
While most Americans do receive MMR vaccines as children, some adults may not remember which vaccines they’ve had if they don’t have access to childhood vaccine records. Doctors can order a test to determine if you have antibodies against the disease.
Dr. Deborah Ikhena-Abel, a physician at Aspire Fertility in Austin, particularly recommends this for people who are considering becoming pregnant.
“Women who are pregnant have a weakened immune system," she said, "so they're more likely to get severe illness, need to be hospitalized, develop pneumonia from measles, and also have an increased risk of death from measles."
Although no cases of measles have been reported in Central Texas so far this year, Walkes, Murphey and Ikhena-Abel all said they are alert to the possibility.
“I think that we are kind of waiting and watching,” Murphey said. “I'm hoping that [the West Texas outbreak] doesn't turn into a bigger outbreak that spreads to our area and the rest of Texas.”
If you or a family member develop measles-like symptoms, Walkes said you should call before heading to the doctor’s office.
“You may be asked to stay in your car until the provider prepares to see you,” she said. “If you go into a room and you have measles, for two hours after you've vacated that room, the virus can linger in the air, and people that are exposed to that can be infected.”
