'I'm worried it's getting worse': Texas measles outbreak grows as families resist vaccination
The measles outbreak that began in Texas before spreading to at least two other states swelled to 355 confirmed cases on Friday — and officials say there is no sign it’s slowing.
The measles outbreak that began in Texas before spreading to at least two other states swelled to 355 confirmed cases on Friday — and officials say there is no sign it’s slowing.
“I’m worried it’s getting worse,” Katherine Wells, director of public health for Lubbock, told NBC News.
Many people aren’t getting tested for measles, and efforts to increase vaccination in the affected areas have gotten a lukewarm response, Wells said during a media briefing by the Big Cities Health Coalition on Tuesday.
Wells said she thought it could be a year until the outbreak is controlled.
The outbreak that started in West Texas in late January has now infected 309 people in 14 Texas counties. “All of the cases in these counties are related to each other,” Wells said, adding: “We are going to see mini outbreaks” as the virus spreads unchecked.
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