TEXAS (March 11, 2025) – Since January, Texas has reported a troubling surge in measles cases, with over 198 incidents—more than half the total number of US cases seen in the entirety of 2024. Predominantly affecting children (over 80% of reported cases), this highly contagious virus threatens up to 90% of those unvaccinated when exposed. As the primary hotspot in the U.S., and with one child fatality already, the public health risks are escalating rapidly for all of Texas.

“We thought we had measles beat, but this latest outbreak shows us the fight is far from over. Measles is still a serious danger to our kids’ health. We need to pull together—educating our communities and taking decisive action—to protect our children from this disease,” said Dr. Bob Sanborn, President & CEO of CHILDREN AT RISK.

Children are particularly vulnerable to severe complications such as pneumonia, brain inflammation, and in extreme cases, death. In kindergarten ages alone, over half of all Texas counties do not meet the 95% vaccination threshold to achieve herd immunity, which has steadily declined since 2019. Declining herd immunity across many Texas communities has placed our state’s 7.48 million children at substantial risk.

“Measles is so much more than a rash, often leading to pneumonia, blindness or even, as we have witnessed, death,” said Terri Burke, Executive Director of The Immunization Partnership. “That one child died is one death too many, especially because more than any other harm our children encountered, this could so easily have been prevented. Vaccines provide life-giving support in the earliest years of a child’s life. Our children deserve the boost all childhood vaccines provide them.”

This crisis is especially dangerous in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) within the state, where limited access to medical services is exacerbating both the spread and severity of the disease. With 224 counties—88% of the state—lacking primary care providers within a 50-mile radius, have little or no access to a doctor if they or their children contract measles.

On Tuesday, March 11, CHILDREN AT RISK will gather with infectious disease experts and pediatricians for a press conference aimed at empowering families with the information they need to keep their children and high-risk loved ones safe. Pediatricians from across Texas will discuss the broader implications of this outbreak for our communities and will offer insights into how families can mitigate risks for their children.

FEATURING

Dr. Bob Sanborn, President & CEO, CHILDREN AT RISK

Terri Burke, Executive Director, The Immunization Partnership

Dr. Marsha Griffin, President, Community for Children, Inc.; Retired Professor of Pediatrics, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine

Michael Chang, MD, Pediatric Infectious Disease Physician, UTHealth Houston

Dr. Gilbert Handal, Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases; Marta Cuellar Chair for Child Advocacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Dr. Janeana White, Deputy Public Health Authority, Houston Health Department

Dr. Gaby Segura, Assistant Professor and specialist in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston