As Texas endures its worst measles outbreak in over 30 years, a Lubbock daycare center has emerged as a new hotspot, further straining health officials already scrambling to contain a virus that is spreading across state lines.
AT A GLANCE
- Texas reports 481 confirmed measles cases, the worst since 1992.
- Six unvaccinated children test positive at a Lubbock daycare center.
- The outbreak has spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
- Federal budget cuts hinder vaccine outreach and public response.
- CDC and state officials stress urgent need for increased immunization.
Daycare becomes flashpoint in record outbreak
The largest measles outbreak in Texas since 1992 has reached a disturbing new milestone, with the virus infiltrating a Lubbock daycare center and prompting fresh alarms over the state’s response. At Tiny Tots U Learning Academy, six children between the ages of 5 months and 3 years tested positive for measles starting March 24. None had received the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine.
The center, which cares for about 230 children, has become a critical concern for public health officials. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 481 confirmed cases have been reported across the state—nearing the total of 990 during the 1992 outbreak.
The virus was first detected in Gaines County, where vaccination exemption rates are among the highest in the state.
Measles spreads beyond Texas
The outbreak has not remained confined to Texas. NBC News reports that 54 cases and one death have been confirmed in neighboring New Mexico, primarily in Lea County, which borders Texas. Oklahoma and Kansas have each reported additional cases, with DNA sequencing linking the Kansas strain directly to Texas.
Nationally, more than 520 cases have been reported in just the first three months of 2025, with Texas accounting for more than three-quarters of them.
Watch NBC coverage of the Texas outbreak.
Vaccine hesitancy and public health roadblocks
A key factor fueling the outbreak is vaccine refusal. In Gaines County, where the outbreak began, nearly 18% of high school students have claimed vaccine exemptions. While the CDC has rushed 2,000 MMR doses to Texas, health officials say public response has been tepid. “Efforts to increase vaccination there have gotten a lukewarm response,” noted Katherine Wells, a local Public Health Director, who warned it could take up to a year to bring the outbreak under control.
Recent layoffs and federal funding cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC have further strained the response. Several community vaccine clinics have been canceled, and the CDC has not held a measles-specific briefing since 2019—an unusual silence amid such a large-scale outbreak.
Measles risks and prevention efforts
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known, remaining airborne for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a room. Common symptoms include high fever, cough, pink eye, and a signature rash. The CDC warns that 1 to 3 in every 1,000 children infected will die from complications.
The current outbreak has already claimed the life of a previously healthy, unvaccinated school-aged child—highlighting the grave danger posed by declining immunization rates.
In response, public health officials are exploring emergency vaccination strategies, including administering the first MMR dose to infants as young as 6 months in high-risk areas—earlier than the standard 12-15 month recommendation.
Nationwide, about 92.7% of kindergarteners are vaccinated, but coverage drops significantly among younger children, leaving communities vulnerable. With clusters of unvaccinated children driving transmission, Texas now faces its second-highest measles total in over a decade.
As the situation unfolds, experts continue to urge immediate vaccination and vigilance to prevent further spread and avoid jeopardizing the nation’s measles elimination status once again.
