Measles in Texas: Unvaccinated infant in Austin tests positive for virus

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Public Health and city leaders are calling for preparedness and vaccinations after an outbreak of measles in West Texas.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said there are more than 145 confirmed cases in the state with at least 20 people hospitalized.

Measles case in Austin

What we know:

On Friday, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said Austin now has its first case of measles. 

At this time, this is not an outbreak. Austin Public Health officials are now urging people to be prepared and are calling for vaccinations.

Austin Public Health (APH) confirmed the first reported case of Measles in Travis County since 2019. 

The case involves an unvaccinated infant who was exposed to the virus during a vacation overseas.

No exposures are expected to be connected to this case, and the infant’s family members are all vaccinated and are isolated at home.

The city and county are asking those who are not vaccinated to be proactive to stop the spread. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective.

What they're saying:

"I want to emphasize to everyone listening that vaccination remains the best defense against this highly contagious and deadly disease. It's time to check and make sure that you're up-to-date with your vaccination. Anti-vax information is just as contagious," says Mayor Watson.

"Data from the CDC highlights just how important a high vaccination rate is, and we're not quite there in a lot of parts of Texas and parts of Travis County as well. We need to get that rate up. When the school’s vaccination rate drops to 90%. The chance of a measles outbreak rises to 51%," says Travis County Judge Andy Brown.

"As measles has arrived in our community, I’m calling on everyone to make sure they’re protected against this vaccine-preventable disease," said Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County Health Authority. "Leaving yourself unvaccinated means more than just a rash, measles can put you in the hospital and can even lead to death as we’ve seen already in Texas."

"One death is too many. In 2025, the most important thing we can do today is make sure that we receive MMR protection. The vaccine is available at most doctors’ offices and pharmacies," says Dr. Desmar Walkes.

Measles in Texas

The backstory:

This week, Texas has seen its first death in this year's measles outbreak that has infected more than 120 people across the state since late last month. 

This is the first death in the U.S. caused by measles since 2015, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

RELATED: Texas child becomes first to die of measles in U.S. since 2015

The death was confirmed on Wednesday by Lubbock health officials and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). 

The school-aged child was not vaccinated and was hospitalized in Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles.

The child is not from Lubbock, according to officials.

Symptoms of Measles

Common symptoms for measles include: 

• High fever (as high as 105°F)
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red and watery eyes
• Tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth 2-3 days after symptoms begin
• Rash 3-5 days after other signs of illness. The "measles rash" typically starts at the face and then spreads down to the rest of the body.

How to prevent getting measles

The best way to prevent getting sick is to be immunized with two doses of a vaccine against measles, which is primarily administered as the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are highly effective at preventing measles.

Some vaccinated people can occasionally develop measles; however, they generally experience milder symptoms and are less likely to spread the disease to other people.