Measles outbreak escalating among children in red state's least vaccinated counties

[cbabe]

https://www.alternet.org/measles-texas/

Measles outbreak escalating among children in red state's least vaccinated counties

Amy Maxmen, KFF Health NewsFebruary 07, 2025

A measles outbreak is growing in a Texas county with dangerously low vaccination rates.

In late January, two school-age children from Gaines County were hospitalized with measles. Since an estimated 1 in 5 people with the disease end up in the hospital, the two cases suggested a larger outbreak.

As of Feb. 6, there were 12 confirmed cases and health officials expected an additional six, said Zach Holbrooks, executive director of the South Plains Public Health District, which includes Gaines. The department is investigating many other potential cases among close contacts, he said, in hopes of treating people quickly and curbing the spread of the virus.

Public health practitioners warn such outbreaks will become more common because of scores of laws around the U.S. — pending and passed — that ultimately lower vaccine rates. Many of the measures allow parents to more easily exempt their children from school vaccine requirements, and a swell of vaccine misinformation has led to record rates of exemptions.

As Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the most influential purveyors of dangerous vaccine misinformation, prepares to take the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services, researchers say such bills have a higher chance of passing and that more parents will refuse vaccines because of false information spread at the highest levels of government.

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[DBoon]

1. Gaines County

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 21,598 people, 5,812 households, and 4,545 families residing in the county.

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 14,467 people, 4,681 households, and 3,754 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile (3.9 people/km2). There were 5,410 housing units at an average density of 4 units per square mile (1.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.28% White, 2.28% Black or African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 14.17% from other races, and 2.35% from two or more races. 35.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,681 households, out of which 45.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.70% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.80% were non-families. 18.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.53.

- wikipedia

[Comrade Citizen]

2. Gaines County has Mennonites

Gaines County is Mennonites and Mexicans. Good peaceful people, but skeptical of anglos/english. Gaines is one of the top oil, cotton, and peanut producing counties in Texas.