Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
As of Tuesday, one 6-year-old unvaccinated child had died of the measles. There are now 159 confirmed cases and 22 hospitalizations. However, local health officials say that the true total number of cases is likely to be much higher. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that outbreaks tend to occur when the vaccination rate in a community drops below 95%. The kindergarten vaccination rate for measles, mumps, and rubella sits at 82% in Gaines County according to state health records. However, many children in this region are homeschooled or attend a private primary school so these rates could be even lower.
Since the outbreak began in late January multiple mobile test and vaccination sites have been set up in remote parts of West Texas. These are areas with a large immigrant population many of whose immunization records are unknown. Authorities still have no information about how the measles got to Seminole, but the town’s former mayor John Belcher said that he understands why the outbreak is spreading beyond the city limits.
