United States: State health authorities from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) currently document the emergence of measles cases in Gaines County.
More about the news
All school-aged unvaccinated children who reside in Gaines County have been affected by this outbreak.
The onset of symptoms happened after the last two weeks.
The Houston Health Department verified two measles cases in Harris County residents during the initial months of 2023, thus becoming Texas’s first reported cases of the year, which initiated a DSHS health alert on January 23.
The DSHS announced multiple measles patients existed in Gaines County on January 30.
As per the advisory, clinicians are advised to “immediately report any suspected cases to your local health department, preferably while the patient is in your presence.”
The latest information indicates nine confirmed cases and three probable cases reported by Zach Holbrooks during his role as executive director of the South Plains Public Health District on February 7.
He communicated to KFF News that the department is identifying potential additional cases among people exposed to infected individuals while simultaneously working to provide prompt treatment to prevent virus transmission.
What more are the officials stating?
Health officials from DSHS predict additional outbreaks of mesothelioma will manifest in Gaines County together with its neighboring communities.
Federal health officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documented the largest number of kindergarteners who received vaccine exemptions during the 2023 to 2024 academic year which reached 3.3 percent.
DSHS statistics show Gaines County exceeds the statewide average significantly since seventeen percent of its children have no medical protection against disease transmission.