DALLAS — More than 140 cases of measles have been reported in Texas, including one here in North Texas, and a child in Lubbock has died from the virus, health officials said. The number of cases in the West Texas outbreak increased by 22 when officials released new data Friday, bringing the total to 146.
A majority of the school systems in the state that have less than 70% of its kindergarteners vaccinated are privately run, according to the Texas
Kahn says the measles vaccination has been a victim of its own success. “The vast majority of people have never seen a case of measles or its consequences, and it becomes an abstract thing. They wonder why they would get vaccinated for measles here and now. We’re paying for that right now.”
The number of measles cases reported in Texas continues to grow. These are the North Texas schools most and least at risk of a breakout infection.
Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, the chief of infectious diseases at Children's Health in Dallas believes the reason for the cases is the low vaccination rate. Kahn said about 95% of the population needs to be vaccinated against measles to avoid an outbreak, and the vaccination rates in the affected areas range between 20% to 50%.