Officials at the state public health department announced on Monday morning that it has now been more than 42 days since the last outbreak-connected measles case was reported. That means the state’s outbreak has ended.
In late January, state public health officials reported the first cases in the outbreak in Gaines County, which sits on the New Mexico border.
From then to August, state officials reported a total of 762 measles cases in the outbreak, although experts say the actual number of cases is likely much higher.
A total of 99 people were hospitalized over the course of the outbreak. Two school-aged children also died.
The highly contagious virus spread quickly through communities with low vaccination rates, and rapidly became the largest measles outbreak that Texas has reported in more than 30 years.
The outbreak also spread into New Mexico and Oklahoma. In addition, the outbreak pushed the country’s 2025 measles case count to the highest single-year number in 33 years.
The rapid spread put a spotlight on Texas’ declining vaccination rates.
Measles is one of the most contagious illnesses in the world, and is often the first vaccine-preventable illness to reemerge when a community’s vaccination rates drop.
In recent years, childhood vaccination rates have tumbled across Texas, mirroring a national trend. Childhood inoculations fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was more difficult to access regular medical care.
The state’s falling vaccination rates are spurred in part by vaccine hesitancy and the medical freedom movement, which made significant gains during Texas’ 2025 legislative session. Public health experts worry that these factors will continue to contribute to declining vaccination rates, opening the door to additional outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses.
In announcing the end of the measles outbreak, the commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, Dr. Jennifer Shuford, applauded the work of public health workers and medical providers.
Although this particular outbreak is over, the announcement said, there are likely to be other measles cases in Texas this year.
“The end of this outbreak does not mean the threat of measles is over,” the announcement said. “Since there are ongoing outbreaks of measles in North America and around the world, it is likely that there will be additional cases of measles this year in Texas.”
Officials at the state public health department urged medical providers to remain “vigilant” for potential measles cases.
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