(CNN) -- The number of measles cases linked to an outbreak in West Texas has grown to 58 cases, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Most of the cases are centered in Gaines County, which is reporting 45 cases. Other surrounding areas are seeing spread of the illness too, with 9 cases in Terry County, 2 in Yoakum County, 1 in Lynn County and 1 in Lubbock County.
The cases are mostly in children ages 5 to 17 years old. While most cases are in unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown status, there were 4 cases of measles in people who were vaccinated. CNN is working to obtain more information regarding the vaccinated cases.
All experienced an onset of symptoms in the past three weeks. Among the 58 cases, 13 have been hospitalized.
Local health departments in West Texas are hosting free vaccination clinics for the community. There have been at least 95 measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccinations at the clinic hosted by South Plains Public Health District, which includes Gaines County, according to Zach Holbrooks, the health district's executive director. The clinic recently expanded its hours to be open seven days a week for vaccinations.
Given how contagious measles is, health officials warn that cases may continue to rise in the area.
Measles is an airborne illness that can cause rash, fever, red eyes and cough. Severe cases can result in blindness, pneumonia or encephalitis, swelling of the brain. In some cases, the illness can be fatal.
Coverage of the MMR vaccine is particularly low in Gaines County, where nearly 1 in 5 incoming kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year did not get the vaccine.
Other affected Texas counties also fall below the goal that at least 95% of children in kindergarten will have gotten two doses of the MMR vaccine, a threshold set by the US Department of Health and Human Services to help prevent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease. Lynn, Lubbock, and Yoakum counties all stand around 92%, according to data from the Texas Department of Health.
The US has now fallen short of that threshold for four years in a row.
Three cases of measles have been detected in a bordering county in New Mexico, officials said on Friday. While connection to the Texas outbreak is "suspected," investigation is ongoing, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
There were 285 measles cases reported in the US last year, the most since 2019, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This year, cases have been identified in Texas, Alaska, New Mexico, Georgia, Rhode Island and New York City.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.