Texas public health officials have made an extraordinary warning over the current measles outbreak. In national elections in most countries, they predict it would span an entire year. And with cases climbing again, its importance is magnified. This dilemma illustrates a larger issue across Texas and the United States. Experts are quick to underscore that the measles virus is extremely contagious and very dangerous for susceptible populations. They highlight the importance of vaccination to stop the spread in this outbreak.
The current outbreak has hit mostly Texas, which account for almost all reported cases so far this year. Transmission Measles, an extremely contagious disease, has a secondary attack rate of between 12 and 18 people for each infected person. This shocking statistic underscores the importance of strong public health interventions to reduce transmission.
The Scope of the Outbreak
Dr. Gabriel Benavidez, a pediatric public health official, noted that this measles outbreak is not limited to just Texas. As we speak, it is affecting 22 jurisdictions nationwide. He stated, “This is a challenge not only in Texas but across the country.” In fact, the measles virus is still very active worldwide. Outbreaks are always possible in the U.S., as domestic travelers occasionally import the disease after contracting it abroad.
For rural counties in West Texas, the outbreak has entered a realm beyond mere challenges. Scarce public health resources make it difficult to track, contain and prevent the disease. According to Dr. Benavidez, this process requires extensive staffing and public health resources. Rural counties in West Texas don’t have nearly the same resources, leaving them particularly exposed.
Public health experts agree that misinformation and disinformation surrounding vaccines are major drivers of this public health emergency. Dr. Amesh Adalja highlighted the impact of misinformation by stating, “Disinformation and misinformation play a major role [in reducing the ability to control the outbreak] because what is necessary to extinguish this outbreak is for people to use proven, evidence-based countermeasures.”
Vaccination as a Key Strategy
Vaccination is the best way to prevent measles infection. Here’s why the CDC now makes a strong recommendation to get two doses of the measles vaccine. This specific vaccination comes with 97% of protection against measles infection. Even with this demonstrated effectiveness, vaccine hesitancy remains a challenge within certain communities, making it that much more difficult to reach herd immunity.
Dr. Amler emphasized the importance of identifying and vaccinating vulnerable individuals to halt the outbreak: “If we can find them first and vaccinate them, the outbreak will stop.” Establishing trust in public health measures through culturally responsive outreach is essential and must start from the point of understanding why someone is vaccine hesitant. Dr. Benavidez reiterated this point by stating that “preventing future outbreaks will require rebuilding trust in public health, particularly among populations that are hesitant or skeptical about vaccines and other public health measures.”
The impact of measles is serious, with an estimated 12% of the CDC confirmed cases resulting in hospitalization. As Katherine Wells from a local health department noted, “We are still on the side where we are increasing the number of cases, both because we’re still seeing spread and because we have increased testing capacity.”
The Challenge Ahead
As Texas continues to fight this persistent outbreak, Texas public health officials are working around the clock and on the front lines with response efforts. Dr. Wells expressed concern about the duration of the outbreak: “I’m really thinking this is going to be a year long in order to get through this entire outbreak.”
We urge communities to work closely with their local health departments. Jointly, they are best equipped to combat vaccine hesitancy and increase awareness regarding the necessity of vaccination. Today’s outbreak should be a wake-up call on how fast disease can spread when vaccination rates are not high enough to stop it.
