Measles Cases Still Rising in Texas

Measles outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to more than 250 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes. The AP rounds up the latest developments:

• Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 25 new cases of measles since the end of last week, bringing Texas' total to 223. Twenty-nine people in Texas are hospitalized.
• New Mexico health officials say there have been 30 cases in Lea County, which neighbors the West Texas communities at the epicenter of the outbreak. A school-age child died of measles in Texas last month, and New Mexico reported its first measles-related death in an adult last week.
• Oklahoma's state health department reported two probable cases of measles Tuesday, saying they are "associated" with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.

• Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
• Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the US since 2000. In the US, cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates.
• The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old. People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition.
• A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.
• New health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, known for his vaccine skepticism, had encouraged unvaccinated people to get the shots, though he added that it's a matter of personal choice, per the New York Times. In an interview, he championed approaches seen as outside mainstream science.

(Health authorities are warning parents to keep their kids away from "measles parties.")