The surge of measles infections in West Texas, connected with the deaths of two children, is prompting Georgia health officials to stress the importance of vaccination against the highly contagious disease.
The outbreak has triggered nearly two dozen calls to the Georgia Department of Public Health from concerned medical providers about potential measles cases in the state. So far, Georgia officials have identified only three cases, all within one family and linked to international travel—unrelated to the Texas outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday that there have been 607 documented measles cases in the United States so far this year, up from 285 in all of 2024. Children and adults under 20 are the most affected age group, with one-fifth of those hospitalized being under age 5.
