Measles Outbreak Reported in West Texas County

SEMINOLE, TX — Texas health officials have reported 15 cases of measles in Gaines County in West Texas.

The county, which has about 22,000 residents, borders New Mexico. The county seat, Seminole, is about 60 miles north of Odessa.

South Plains Public Health District Director Zach Holbrooks said Monday some of the cases appear to be connected to private religious schools in the county.

All of the cases in Gaines County were reportedly among unvaccinated people, mostly school-age children.

National media outlets have used the outbreak to attack Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is the nominee for United States Secretary of Health and Human Services in President Donald Trump's second cabinet.

Kennedy has been one of the most vocal critics of the pharmaceutical industry. He has been particularly critical of the dramatic increase in autism in children that some believe is linked to vaccines.

There has been a reported 27,000% increase in autism since 1970, which follows the rise in required childhood vaccines.

Anti-vaccine sentiment gained significant traction during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more parents have pushed to get their children exempted from vaccines.

Texas law allows children to get an exemption from school vaccines for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs. The percentage of children with exemptions has more than tripled from 0.76% in 2014 to 2.32% last year, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.