The measles outbreak in Texas has reached 400 instances, the state introduced Friday, a rise of greater than 20 p.c because the final replace on Tuesday.
Officers have mentioned the numbers are seemingly an undercount.
Almost the entire instances are in unvaccinated people or in people whose vaccination standing is unknown, in response to the Texas Division of State Well being Providers. At the least 41 folks have been hospitalized up to now.
An unvaccinated, however in any other case wholesome little one, died of measles in February, changing into the primary measles fatality within the U.S. in a decade.
Solely two instances have occurred in folks absolutely vaccinated, in response to the info.
The outbreak has additionally been spreading past Texas. The New Mexico Division of Well being reported 44 instances Friday, whereas Oklahoma reported seven confirmed and two suspected instances.
Friday’s updates come after the Trump administration abruptly canceled greater than $11 billion in COVID-19-era public well being grants, a transfer that state and native well being departments mentioned may hurt Texas’s measles response.
Departments are already working on skinny margins and have to steadiness typically competing public well being priorities. As a result of loss, some well being departments are already beginning to cancel contracts and lay off employees.
Grants have been used for info modernization, in addition to to rent folks to assist with vaccinations, testing and illness monitoring.
Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Well being and Human Providers, mentioned grant cash was going for use to assist equip a brand new lab that’s being constructed. The brand new tools would have expanded the lab’s testing capability for COVID-19, in addition to different pathogens, like measles.
