After months of chaos, hospitalizations, and heartbreak, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has declared the worst U.S. measles outbreak in 30 years officially over. The state made the call after 42 days without a new reported case.
The outbreak began in Seminole back in January and spread like wildfire — across more than 10 Texas counties, into three other states, and even into Mexico. In Texas alone, there were 762 confirmed cases, most of them children, with 96 people hospitalized. Tragically, two children in Seminole died. Nearly all of those infected were unvaccinated.
Officials credit widespread testing, vaccinations, and public education campaigns for containing the virus, though they were quick to remind Texans that measles is always lurking. The MMR vaccine remains the best defense, preventing more than 97% of infections.
West Texas may have shut the door on this outbreak, but with vaccine skepticism still running rampant, it’s less “the end” and more “until next time.”
https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/18/texas-measles-west-outbreak-over-dshs/
