TEXAS — There are still questions circulating around the recent rise of measles cases in Texas. The number of cases has risen to 159 as of Tuesday, according to the state health commissioner, but officials are still unsure about where the outbreak started.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) commissioner testified in front of the Texas House Committee on Public Health on Monday morning.
Reeling off the death of the unvaccinated child last week, lawmakers questioned the head of the DSHS for more information on how they became infected.
“I cannot link this particular outbreak,” Dr. Jennifer Shuford told the committee, according to The Texas Tribune. “We don’t know what the link is.”
When asked by state Rep. Mike Olcott, R-Fort Worth, if the outbreak could be due to the influx of undocumented immigrants, Shuford confirmed there’s no data to point in that direction.
Dr. Shuford pointed to lower immunization rates as a possible reasoning for the outbreak in West Texas. The elimination of measles depends on a community having an immunization of at least 95% to keep the disease from spreading, Shuford explained.
“At 95%, we have what’s called herd immunity,” she said. ”We know when those vaccine levels get lower than 95% that there’s enough unprotected people together to cause an outbreak.”
